Activity questionnaires; a useful tool in accessing heart failure patients.

Aim: The aim of the study was to correlate the score derived from Specific Activity Questionnaire (SAQ), Left Ventricular Dysfunction 36 (LVD 36) and the Minnesota Living with Heart Failure Questionnaire (LIhFE) with peak oxygen consumption measured during maximal treadmill exercise spirometry in patients with heart failure.

Methods: We prospectively studied 106 patients, average age 47+/-15.5 (mean+/-SD), with symptomatic heart failure. All were asked to answer the questions of the above mentioned questionnaires. Subsequently patients underwent treadmill exercise spirometry to measure peak oxygen consumption (VO2 peak ml/kg/min) using the Dargie protocol and to derive functional class according to the Weber classification system.

Results: SAQ had a very high performance in classifying patients with a VO2 peak <20 ml/kg/min and those with a VO2 peak <14 ml/kg/min. The correlation between VO2 peak achieved and the METs corresponding to the score derived from SAQ according to the given answers was r=0.77 (p<0.01). The correlation between VO2 peak achieved and the score from LVD 36 was r=-0.74 (p<0.01). The correlation between VO2 peak achieved and the score from LIhFE was r=-0.71 (p<0.01).

Conclusion: The Specific Activity Questionnaire, the Left Ventricular Dysfunction and the Minnesota Living with Heart Failure Questionnaire were used to predict aerobic capacity and all correlated significantly with peak VO2 achieved from exercise spirometry. The above questionnaires represent a useful method to access heart failure patients and are valuable for those unable to undergo a treadmill test.