[Quality of life and perception of illness among individuals with high blood pressure].

This study aimed to investigate quality of life in individuals with arterial hypertension and to associate the results with the patients' perceived severity of illness. The sample included 113 patients with arterial hypertension followed up in a clinic in Fortaleza, Ceará State, Brazil, from May to August 2002, using an international scale for assessing quality of life, the SF-36. Of the entire sample of patients, 77% were women, a large proportion were over 50 years of age, living with family, and with some kind of occupation. Assessment with the SF-36 showed compromised quality of life in different domains, although patients viewed their illness as not serious, and curable. These circumstances can interfere in follow-up of their illness over time, which can in turn jeopardize their quality of life. In conclusion, use of the SF-36 to assess individuals with arterial hypertension produced significant results, indicating generally compromised quality of life. According to these results, hypertension jeopardizes the patients' social and physical dimensions, but this situation can be changed by the provision of qualified services.