Quality of life after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest: age matters

AIM: To evaluate how long-term health-related quality of life (HRQoL) differs by age among survivors of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA). METHODS: In a nationwide, survey-based study, the HRQoL of adult survivors of OHCA in Denmark (2001-2019) was assessed using the EuroQol questionnaire (EQ-5D), the 12-Item Short Form Health Survey (SF-12), and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). RESULTS: A total of 2552 out of 4545 survivors (56.1%) completed the survey. Median follow-up was 5.5 years (IQR 2.9-8.9 years). Median age at follow-up was 67 years (IQR 58-74). Across EQ-5D domains, age-related differences were observed. Mobility problems increased from 17% among respondents <35 years to 56% among those ≥75 years (p for trend <0.01). Self-care problems increased from 9% to 23% (p for trend <0.01), and limitations in usual activities reached 55% in the oldest group (p for trend <0.01). Pain/discomfort did not vary with age (p for trend = 0.25). Anxiety/depression problems were more common in younger respondents and decreased with age (p for trend <0.01). SF-12 physical scores ranged from 47.4 (SD 10.2) in respondents <35 years to 37.7 (SD 12.0) in those ≥75 years, whereas mental component scores were stable (mean 52.9 [SD 8.3]). HADS anxiety scores were 5.4 (SD 4.3) in the youngest and 3.3 (SD 3.2) in the oldest group. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: HRQoL after OHCA differed across age groups. Older survivors reported more physical limitations, whereas younger survivors reported more anxiety. These findings support age-tailored and domain-specific follow-up after cardiac arrest.