Assessment of physical function and health related quality of life according to the likelihood of adverse cardiac events in type 2 diabetic women

Type of funding sources: None.

Diabetes mellitus is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease. In women, one of the strongest and most consistent estimators of cardiac prognosis is functional capacity which is an important component affecting the predictive value of exercise testing. The Duke Activity Status Index (DASI) is a questionnaire and it correlates with a woman’s capabilities to perform adequate levels of exercise stress testing and predicts prognosis to a similar degre. The every unit increase in the DASI MET subsets (4.8-7-4, 7.5-9.9 and >9.9 METs) related to Bruce protocol, were associated with a 25% decrease in adverse cardiac events.

To appreciate the  physical function and health related quality of life according to the  likelihood of adverse cardiac events using estimeted function capasity in type 2 diabetic women

Forty nine type 2 diabetic women (mean age: 61.48 ± 8.42 years) completed the DASI questionnaire for  the functional capacity and SF-36 for  health related quality of life. They  also underwent two minute walk test, Up and Go test and one leg standing test. The women were divided into two groups according to functional capacity by their estimated MET capacity at < 7.5 (group 1 who had higher risk for adverse cardiac events) and  ≥7.5 (group 2, who had lower adverse cardiac events risk) using DASI.

The age, BMI, diabetes duration, HgA1c and SF-36 mental health weren’t different between the groups (p>.05).  The education duration (p=.031), comorbidity number ((p=.035), the scores of  two minute walk test (p=.000), Up and Go test (p=.000), one leg standing test (p=.001) and vitality (p=.002), physical functioning (p=.000), bodily pain (p=.040), physical role functioning (p=.003), emotional role functioning (p=.040) domains of SF-36 were greater in Group 2.

In the type 2 diabetic womens who had higher risk for adverse cardiac events, physical function was lower and quality of life was worse than those in the womens who had lower adverse cardiac events risk. The physical activity as a contributing factor to reduce the  likelihood of adverse cardiac events and to increase the health related quality of life, should be improved.