PREVALENCE OF CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASES AND THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN DISEASE PERCEPTION AND QUALITY OF LIFE

Abstract

The Aim. To assess the prevalence of cardiovascular diseases and examine the associations between disease perception and quality of life.
Methods. An analytical cross-sectional study was conducted from January to July, 2025. Data were collected using an anonymous online survey. The study included 1,060 adults (18 years and older) residing in Lithuania. The questionnaire was created on the Google Forms platform and distributed via social media. The survey consisted of two parts: the first part included 18 questions regarding sociodemographic characteristics, lifestyle, health status, and medication use. The second part employed the standardized SF-36 health-related quality of life questionnaire, which was applied only to respondents with cardiovascular diseases.
Results. Of all respondents, 28,77 % reported having one or more CVDs. The most common conditions were arterial hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, and various arrhythmias.
Each additional CVD was statistically significantly associated with decreased physical activity (p < 0.001), increased limitations in physical functioning (p < 0.001), reduced energy (p < 0.001), worsened emotional well-being (p < 0.001), decreased social functioning (p = 0.027), and poorer overall health (p < 0.001). The number of CVDs was not statistically significantly associated with pain levels or limitations due to emotional reasons.
The condition affecting the most domains of quality of life was heart failure (HF). It was associated with lower physical activity (p < 0.001), increased limitations in physical functioning (p < 0.001), significantly reduced energy (p < 0.001), poorer emotional well-being (p = 0.002), and poorer overall health (p < 0.001).
Conclusions. Most respondents with one or more cardiovascular diseases suffer from arterial hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, or some form of arrhythmia. Each perceived additional cardiovascular disease was associated with poorer physical functioning, reduced vitality, worsened emotional state, decreased social functioning, and a decline in overall health. The number of diseases was not related to experienced pain or limitations due to emotional reasons. Heart failure had the greatest impact on quality of life, being associated with poorer physical functioning, vitality, emotional state, and overall health.