[Utility of the Minnesota Living With Heart Failure Questionnaire for assessing quality of life in heart failure patients].

The Minnesota Living With Heart Failure Questionnaire (MLWHFQ) was used to evaluate the quality of life of patients with heart failure, both before and 6 months after an educational intervention. The study included 99 patients (70 male) with a mean age of 78 years. Significant correlations were found between the MLWHFQ score and the SF-36 score (r=0.41, P=.01), the Barthel Index score (r=-0.23, P=.02), New York Heart Association functional class (r=0.37, P=.01), and the number of readmissions within 6 months (r=0.47, P< .002). Following the intervention, the MLWHFQ score decreased by 34 points (P=.0001). The MLWHFQ score appears to be a useful measure: there were good correlations with functional class and the SF-36 score, and the measure was sensitive to changes in health since there was also a correlation with the patients' prognosis.