Medical factors affecting the quality of life among cardiac patients

Abstract

Many factors affect the quality of life of cardiac patients. Medical factors are very important in this respect. Hence, this review aimed to systematically assess recent studies on the medical factors influencing the quality of life in cardiac patients, broadening its focus to encompass all cardiac and cardiovascular diseases. Papers relevant to the review topic were identified from Google Scholar using the review topic itself as the search term. The identified papers were screened for a set of exclusion criteria using the PRISMA process to select the targeted 25 papers. They were described and discussed to conclude. A spreadsheet with the relevant details was prepared and used to extract some quantitative trends that were useful for discussions. It was found that nearly all other chronic conditions have been linked to a diminished quality of life in these patients. However, few papers specifically addressed medical factors associated with quality of life. As a result, some studies relied on medical conditions noted in baseline data, while others referenced these conditions to elucidate findings related to quality of life. In certain instances, cardiac or cardiovascular issues were just one part of the analysis, with medical factors impacting the quality of life for all patients being analysed separately. A significant limitation identified in 11 of the studies was the deficiencies in research design, which future researchers should consider carefully. Most studies depended on self-reported data gathered through surveys. The authors could have leveraged the vast amounts of data available from healthcare facilities and analysed it using big data analytics or machine learning techniques; however, no studies utilising these methods were found. Only three of the examined papers employed randomised controlled trials, with a clear preference for surveys and qualitative reviews.