Evolution of quality of life, anxiety, and depression over time in patients with an abdominal aortic aneurysm approaching the surgical threshold.

Background: Contrary to the impact of screening, the effect of long-term surveillance on the quality of life of patients with an abdominal aortic aneurysm is not well known. Therefore, the aim of this study was to describe patient-reported outcomes of patients with an abdominal aortic aneurysm approaching the surgical threshold.

Methods: This multicentre, observational cohort study included patients with an abdominal aortic aneurysm with a maximum aneurysm diameter of greater than or equal to 40 mm. The EuroQol five-dimension five-level questionnaire (range -0.446 to 1, minimal clinically important difference 0.071), the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale questionnaire (0-21 points/subscale, minimal clinically important difference 1.7 points), and the short version of the Patient Health Questionnaire (0-6 points) were mailed to patients with an abdominal aortic aneurysm at baseline and after 1 and 2 years or until abdominal aortic aneurysm surgery/death. Linear mixed-effects models were used to describe the evolution of patient-reported outcomes over time and investigate changes attributable to clinical characteristics.

Results: In total, 291 to 294 responses to each questionnaire were available from 124 patients with an abdominal aortic aneurysm, of whom 34 underwent surgery during follow-up. The mean health-related quality of life and anxiety and depression scores over time were 0.781 (95% c.i. 0.749 to 0.814), 4.4 points (95% c.i. 3.9 to 4.9), and 4.6 points (95% c.i. 4.0 to 5.2) respectively. Anxiety and depression scores decreased in patients who underwent surgery with a mean of 2.8 (95% c.i. 1.1 to 4.6) and 2.0 (95% c.i. 0.4 to 3.6) points/year respectively, compared with patients who had not had surgery. Considering the minimal clinically important difference, patients with a primary education alone, compared with a secondary education, had higher or increasing anxiety and depression scores. Patients with a first-degree relative with an abdominal aortic aneurysm had a higher risk of clinical anxiety.

Conclusion: Although health-related quality of life, anxiety, and depression remain stable over time on average, anxiety and depression decrease in patients approaching surgery. Patients with a family history of abdominal aortic aneurysm or a primary education alone experience more anxiety and/or depression and thus might benefit from a tailored approach during surveillance.