Determinants of functional capacity in geriatric patients with chronic heart failure

Objective: To identify the determining factors functional capacity (FC) in geriatric patients with chronic heart failure (CHF). Method: 547 patients who diagnosed as level II-III-IV CHF according to NYHA classification and upper than 60 years old, were included in the study. FC were assessed by "six-minute walk test (6MWT)", the level of physical activity by "Duke Aktivity Status Index (DASI)", fatigue level by "Modified Borg Scale", quality of life by " Minnesota Living with Heart Failure Questionnaire (MLHFQ)", depression by Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS). Additionally signs and symptoms specific to heart failure and comorbitiy factors were evaluated. Results: The population of the study consisted of 133(%24.3) level II, 355 (%64.9) level III and 59 (%10.8) level IV from the patients of whom 330 (%60.3) were male and 217 (%39.7) were female. The average of the distance which was walked in 6MWT were 289.05 ±121.34, for males and 218.88 ±113.16 for females. When the parameters which determine the FC in geriatric patients with chronic heart failure (CHF) were examined it was founded statistically significant that 0.302 with age increase, 0.18 with gender, 0.09 with diabet, 0.084 with having peripheral artery disease, 0.108 with severity of fatigue, 0.116 with severity of edema increase and 0.094 times more decrease on 6MWD with QoL. Conclusion: It was observed in the parameters which were evaluated in geriatric patients with CHF, mostly QoL, fatigue, gender, edema severity, age and comorbidities affected the FC adversily.