The present study has the following objectives: to identify the significance of the quality of life of people with chronic illness and verify its interference in their quality of life. We have studied 71 people of both sexes, attended in the clinical settings of 2 public hospitals. The most common diagnoses were high blood pressure and diabetes mellitus. The significance of quality of life to interviewed people was related mainly to material comfort (40.9%); physical comfort (23.9%) and emotional comfort (11.2%). Chronic illness interfered in their quality of life because it has changed, especially, their physical capacity (67.6%), their work/study/home activities (64.8%) and their self-esteem (53.5%). Based on the results, we emphasize the importance of nursing in the adaptation process of people and their relatives considering the limitations of chronic illness.