Health-related quality of life of Japanese patients with chronic heart failure: assessment using the Medical Outcome Study Short Form 36.

Chronic heart failure is characterized by impaired cardiac function, but the relationship between clinical indices and subjective perception is not clear. This study was undertaken to investigate the relationship between cardiac function, exercise capacity and clinical classification, and the health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in 91 outpatients with an left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) less than 40%. Exercise capacity was evaluated by the Specific Activity Scale, and HRQOL by the Medical Outcome Study Short Form 36.