SILVA, Isabel; PAIS-RIBEIRO, José; CARDOSO, Helena    RAMOS, Helena. Qualidade de vida e complicações crónica da diabetes. []. , 21, 2, pp.185-194. ISSN 0870-8231.

The objective of the present study is to analyse the impact of specific disease chronic complications in quality of life of diabetic patients. A convenience sample include 316 diabetic patients; 44.6% males; aged between 16 and 84 years (M= 48.39; DP=16.90), 41.8% (n=132) with type 1 diabetes and 58.2% (n=184) with type 2 diabetes. Disease duration varies between 4 months e 43 years (M=13.66; DP=9.32) and 59.8% of those patients suffers from diabetes chronic complications. Results suggest that diabetic patients who suffer from chronic complications report lower quality of life than those patients who do not suffer from diabetes sequels. This distinction is present when we analyse specifically microangiopathy, cataract, macroangiopathy, autonomic neuropathy (namely sexual dysfunction), coronary heart disease, previous stroke, hypertension and peripheral arterial disease. However, when we control complications severity, namely retinopathy and nephropathy severity, we verify that there is not a linear association between sequel severity and its impact on quality of life, since, in some cases, patients suffering from a more severe complication level report higher quality of life than patients with less severe levels.

: Quality of life; diabetes; chronic complications.

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