Application of AQUAREL questionaire in assessment of quality of life in patients with cardiac implantable electronic devices

The study included 100 patients, 55 men and 45 women aged from 40 to 84 years. All patients had indications for implantation of the pacemaker. The quality of life was evaluated before the intervention, 1, 6 and 12 months after it, using the "Quality of life and related events” questionnaire, Aquarel, specialized for patients with pacemakers. 58 double-chamber and 42 single-chamber pacemakers were successfully implanted in patients. The quality of life in the first month after the operation increased by an average of 10-20%: the lower the initial values of quality of life, the higher the increase. In follow-up, the quality of life gradually decreased, but did not reach the baseline. Patients with atrioventricular block had the lowest quality of life, then it gradually increased, while the remaining patients showed an increase with a further decrease. Women and patients with diabetes mellitus had lower quality of life. The association with age, body mass index, type of device, number of leads, operation technique, concomitant diseases and complications of implantation has not been revealed. Conclusions: Aquarel questionnaire can be used to assess the quality of life in patients with cardiac implantable electronic devices. Implantation of the pacemaker positively affects the quality of life, especially in the early postoperative period, in the later follow-up period there was a gradual decline in indicators.