The authors evaluated the self-reported quality of life in patients with systemic arterial hypertension and assessed whether clinicians and normotensive respondents from the general public appreciate the impact that hypertension has on health-related quality of life. A quality-of-life questionnaire was completed by 385 individuals: persons with hypertension (n=188), normotensive persons (n=148), and clinicians (n=49). A utility score, which represents one's self-perceived health-related quality of life, was generated for each group by using standardized time tradeoff questionnaires. Quality of life with hypertension was judged to be significantly higher according to affected individuals (mean utility score, 0.980), compared with normotensive persons (mean utility score, 0.948) and clinicians (mean utility score, 0.942), who were asked to assume that they had hypertension (p<0.0005). Clinicians and normotensive individuals tend to overemphasize the impact that hypertension has on quality of life, as compared to affected patients. The relatively low impact that hypertensive individuals indicate high blood pressure has on their quality of life may contribute to their lack of compliance with treatment regimens.
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