Quality of life after percutaneous coronary intervention: part 2.

This is the second in a two-part series on quality of life (QoL) after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Part I presented the research methodology of this retrospective cross-sectional descriptive study that investigated the QoL of a systematic sample of clients after PCI with a response rate of 64% (n=228; menn=169, women n=59; age 40-89 years). Quantitative data was collected using the Maltese version of the mailed WHOQoL-BREF questionnaire. The study aimed to identify significant differences in QoL between subgroups of clients according to demographic characteristics and their perceived cardiovascular risk factors.Significant differences were found in the overall QoL between subgroups of gender,education, occupation, friends' support and stress. The domain of social support,which is characteristic of Maltese culture, appeared to yield high mean scores of the overall QoL, irrespective of cardiovascular risk factors, such as smoking and alack of physical exercise. Hence, social relationships may enhance QoL as they mayyield security in life, feelings of love and belonging to a community. Perceived stress and social support seemed to generate significant differences in QoL. Although these findings were consistent with existing research, the use of different operational definitions of QoL means they cannot be compared accurately. While considering the limitations of this study, recommendations addressed the need for holistic assessment of patients' needs, education, follow-up monitoring and community services. Further comparative longitudinal research is recommended to identify confounding variables and fluctuation of results across time.