Health Problems and Quality of Life in Patients with Chronic Lower Limb Ischemia—A Polish Population One-Centre-Based Study
Abstract
:1. Introduction
- To learn about health problems and patients’ quality of life with chronic lower limb ischemia (study’s phase I—during the recruitment for the study in the Outpatient Clinic).
- To check if the demographic variables and the progression of the patient’s disease affect the quality of life of Polish patients with chronic lower limb ischemia.
- To answer the question of the quality of life of patients with chronic limb ischemia qualified for surgery (study’s phase II—preoperative period, before the revascularization).
- To analyze patients’ quality of life with chronic lower limb ischemia 6 months after revascularization procedures (study’s phase III—6 months after revascularization in the Outpatient Clinic).
2. Material and Methods
3. Ethics
4. Statistical Analysis
- -
- The Mann–Whitney U test was used to check the significance of differences in the level of quality of life in two groups;
- -
- The Kruskal–Wallis test to check the significance of the difference in the level of quality of life in three groups;
- -
- The Spearman rank correlation coefficient significance test was used to examine the correlation between measurable variables.
5. Results
6. Discussion
Author Contributions
Funding
Institutional Review Board Statement
Informed Consent Statement
Data Availability Statement
Conflicts of Interest
References
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Variables | Mean ± SD or No. (%) (n = 122) |
---|---|
Demographics: | |
Age, years | 68.8 ± 8.9 |
Sex: | |
Male | 84 (68.9) |
Female | 38 (31.1) |
Education: | |
Elementary school education | 17 (13.9) |
Professional education | 38 (31.1) |
High school education | 61 (50.0) |
Higher education | 6 (4.9) |
Place of residence: | |
City | 81(66.4) |
Country | 41(33.6) |
Marital status: | |
Single | 10 (8.2) |
Married | 81(66.4) |
Divorced | 5 (4.1) |
Widowed | 26 (21.3) |
Risk factors: | |
Regular smoking # | 112 (91.8) |
Smoking in the past | 10 (12.2) |
Non-smokers | 0 |
Hyperlipidemia (in an interview) * | 75 (61.5) |
Hypertension (in an interview) ** | 97 (79.5) |
Ankle-brachial index (ABI) ^ | 0.80 ± 0.16 |
Classified according to Fontaine: | |
IIA | 36 (29.5) |
IIB | 36 (29.5) |
III | 50 (41.0) |
Degree of arterial obstruction: | |
Leriche syndrome | 32 (26.2) |
Popliteal, femoral occlusion | 48 (39.3) |
Distal obstruction | 42 (34.5) |
VascuQol Scale Domains | Mean ± SD | Median | Do These Indicated Aspects Constitute a Serious Health Problem for You? Answer YES n (%) |
---|---|---|---|
1. Physical activity (exercise or playing sports; walking distance has increased; ability to walk; ability to climb stairs; ability to do routine household work; range of activities; ability to go shopping or carry bags; walking distance became less) | 3.14 ± 1.38 | 3.13 | 112 (91.8) |
2. Pain (pain during walking, pain at night, pain at rest, the amount of discomfort) | 3.22 ± 1.25 | 3.00 | 122 (100) |
3. Symptoms (cold feet; tired or weak legs; pins, needles, or numbness; ulcers and sore) | 3.63 ± 1.42 | 3.50 | 87 (71.3) |
4. Emotional (worry about injuries; concerns about being housebound; concerns about having poor circulation in the legs; frustration about problems caused by poor circulation in the legs; feelings of guilt about relying on friends or relatives; worries about being in danger of losing a part of leg or foot; being depressed about poor circulation in the legs) | 3.27 ± 1.28 | 3.07 | 106 (86.9) |
5. Social (restricted in spending time with friends or relatives; ability to participate in social activities) | 3.43 ± 1.60 | 3.50 | 48 (39.3) |
The overall quality of life | 3.29 ± 1.27 | 3.24 |
Pair of Variables | n | Rs | p |
---|---|---|---|
Age (years) and Physical Activity (points) | 122 | −0.091 | 0.3178 |
Age (years) and Pain (points) | 122 | −0.087 | 0.3411 |
Age (years) and Symptoms (points) | 122 | −0.196 | 0.0303 |
Age (years) and Emotions (points) | 122 | −0.162 | 0.0750 |
Age (years) and Social Functions (points) | 122 | −0.173 | 0.0565 |
Age (years) and Overall Assessment (points) | 122 | −0.152 | 0.0951 |
VascuQol | Classified According to Fontaine | n | Mean | SD | Median | Minimum | Maximum | Z | p |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Physical Activity | IIA | 36 | 4.10 | 1.26 | 4.13 | 1.75 | 6.25 | −6.33 | <0.0001 |
IIB, III | 86 | 2.43 | 0.98 | 2.31 | 1.00 | 4.50 | |||
Pain | IIA | 36 | 3.95 | 1.18 | 4.00 | 2.00 | 7.00 | −5.52 | <0.0001 |
IIB, III | 86 | 2.67 | 1.00 | 2.50 | 1.00 | 5.00 | |||
Symptoms | IIA | 36 | 4.27 | 1.21 | 4.75 | 2.00 | 6.50 | −4.28 | <0.0001 |
IIB, III | 86 | 3.15 | 1.39 | 3.00 | 1.00 | 6.00 | |||
Emotions | IIA | 36 | 3.96 | 1.12 | 3.93 | 2.29 | 7.00 | −5.31 | <0.0001 |
IIB, III | 86 | 2.76 | 1.15 | 2.43 | 1.00 | 5.57 | |||
Social Functions | IIA | 36 | 4.30 | 1.62 | 4.00 | 1.50 | 7.00 | −4.86 | <0.0001 |
IIB, III | 86 | 2.79 | 1.24 | 2.50 | 1.00 | 6.00 | |||
Overall Assessment | IIA | 36 | 4.08 | 1.14 | 4.22 | 2.24 | 6.68 | −5.89 | <0.0001 |
IIB, III | 86 | 2.70 | 1.02 | 2.56 | 1.04 | 4.76 |
VascuQol | Before/After | Mean | SD | Median | Minimum | Maximum | Z | p |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Activities | Before | 2.88 | 1.32 | 2.69 | 1.00 | 6.25 | −3.08 | 0.0021 |
After | 3.69 | 1.34 | 3.56 | 1.13 | 6.00 | |||
Pain | Before | 3.02 | 1.24 | 2.75 | 1.00 | 7.00 | −2.51 | 0.0121 |
After | 3.61 | 1.17 | 3.63 | 1.50 | 6.00 | |||
Symptoms | Before | 3.45 | 1.46 | 3.25 | 1.00 | 6.50 | −1.97 | 0.0491 |
After | 3.99 | 1.28 | 4.38 | 1.00 | 6.00 | |||
Emotional | Before | 3.09 | 1.34 | 2.86 | 1.00 | 7.00 | −2.66 | 0.0077 |
After | 3.64 | 1.08 | 3.86 | 1.43 | 5.57 | |||
Social | Before | 3.14 | 1.52 | 3.00 | 1.00 | 7.00 | −3.08 | 0.0020 |
After | 4.04 | 1.59 | 4.00 | 1.00 | 7.00 | |||
The overall quality of life | Before | 3.07 | 1.27 | 2.88 | 1.04 | 6.68 | −2.83 | 0.0046 |
After | 3.74 | 1.15 | 3.86 | 1.84 | 5.36 |
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Bączyk, G.; Kozłowska, K.A.; Kubiak, K.; Formanowicz, D. Health Problems and Quality of Life in Patients with Chronic Lower Limb Ischemia—A Polish Population One-Centre-Based Study. Healthcare 2025, 13, 643. https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare13060643
Bączyk G, Kozłowska KA, Kubiak K, Formanowicz D. Health Problems and Quality of Life in Patients with Chronic Lower Limb Ischemia—A Polish Population One-Centre-Based Study. Healthcare. 2025; 13(6):643. https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare13060643
Chicago/Turabian StyleBączyk, Grażyna, Katarzyna Anna Kozłowska, Katarzyna Kubiak, and Dorota Formanowicz. 2025. "Health Problems and Quality of Life in Patients with Chronic Lower Limb Ischemia—A Polish Population One-Centre-Based Study" Healthcare 13, no. 6: 643. https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare13060643
APA StyleBączyk, G., Kozłowska, K. A., Kubiak, K., & Formanowicz, D. (2025). Health Problems and Quality of Life in Patients with Chronic Lower Limb Ischemia—A Polish Population One-Centre-Based Study. Healthcare, 13(6), 643. https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare13060643