Is EQ-5D a valid quality of life instrument in patients with acute coronary syndrome?

Objective: To evaluate the construct validity of the Turkish version of the EQ-5D in patients with acute coronary syndrome. Methods: The study was conducted as a cross-sectional study at the Trakya University Hospital between February and May 2008. All patients completed the Turkish version of the EQ-5D and MacNew heart-related quality of life scale. Construct validity of the EQ-5D was assessed according to relationships with MacNew subscales by using Spearman rank correlation and multiple linear regression analyses. Results: One hundred and twenty-two patients responded to the instruments. Mean age was 62.9±9.3 years and male gender (88 or 72.1%) was dominant. Mean score of the EQ-5D index was 0.79±0.32, while the global score of MacNew was 5.01±1.16. The correlation coefficients of the EQ-5D index score with the MacNew subscales ranged from 0.557 to 0.721, with EQ-5D VAS score ranging from 0.297 to 0.484 (p 0.001 for all of them). According to the stepwise regression model MacNew global score was found to be significantly effective factor on EQ-5D index score (β=0.188; 95% CI: 0.152-0.224; p 0.001). Conclusion: The Turkish version of the EQ-5D-based utility score seems to be a valid instrument in the assessment of quality of life studies in patients with acute coronary syndrome.