Abstract
A prevalence of diabetes is increasing among the patients undergoing coronary artery
bypass grafting (CABG). Data on whether health-related quality of life improves similarly
after CABG in diabetics and nondiabetics are limited. We assessed long-term mortality
and changes in quality of life (RAND-36 Health Survey) after CABG.
Seventy-four of the 508 patients (14.6%) operated on in a single institution had a
history of diabetes and were compared with nondiabetics. The RAND-36 Health Survey
was used as an indicator of quality of life. Assessments were made preoperatively
and repeated 1 and 12 years later.
Thirty-day mortality was 2.7 versus 1.6 (p = 0.511) in the diabetics and nondiabetics. One- and 10-year survival rates in the
diabetics and nondiabetics were 94.6% versus 97.0% (p = 0.287) and 63.5% versus 81.6% (p < 0.001), respectively. After 1 year, diabetics improved significantly (p < 0.005) in seven, and nondiabetics (p < 0.001) in all eight RAND-36 dimensions. Despite an ongoing decline in quality of
life over the 12-year follow-up, an improvement was maintained in four out of eight
dimensions among diabetics and in seven dimensions among nondiabetics. Physical and
mental component summary scores on the RAND-36 improved significantly (p < 0.001) in both groups after 1 year, and at least slight improvement was maintained
during the 12-year follow-up time.
Diabetics have inferior long-term survival after CABG as compared with nondiabetics.
They gain similar improvement of quality of life in 1 year after surgery, but they
have a stronger decline tendency over the years.
Keywords
quality of life - survival - CABG - diabetes mellitus - mortality - angina pectoris
- complication
