Assessment of quality of life in hypertensive patients

This is a cross-sectional study with the general objective of describing the Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQoL) of hypertensive patients at a Basic Health Unit in a municipality in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil, between March and May 2005, according to the SF-36 generic assessment instrument. Considering the exclusion criteria, 256 hypertensive patients were selected to participate in this study. It was possible to apply the SF-36 instrument to a significant number of hypertensive patients, and it proved to be valid for multidimensional assessment of the health profile of the group considered. Although arterial hypertension is considered a chronic disease with a progressive-degenerative character, this study did not find results that showed impairment of the subjects in relation to their health profile. On the contrary, the 256 patients interviewed showed, for the most part, satisfaction, tranquillity, and security with the care found at the aforementioned Basic Health Unit.