Quality of life remains a crucial yet often underappreciated outcome for patients living with heart failure. The 2025 European Society of Cardiology (ESC) meeting emphasized patient-centered care that recognizes the cumulative effect of comorbidities on well-being and prognosis.

Data from the national HEart failuRe ObsErvational Study of the Polish Cardiac Society (HEROES) offered new insights into how multiple conditions shape patients’ quality of life and survival. The study included 1,397 adults with heart failure from 41 Polish centers, with quality of life assessed using the Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire (KCCQ-12).

Patients with more severe symptoms, advanced age, or concurrent liver, kidney, or respiratory diseases had significantly lower quality of life scores. Each one-point improvement in KCCQ-12 score was associated with a 2.4% reduction in all-cause mortality risk (p<0.001).

The findings highlighted that both cardiac and non-cardiac conditions substantially influenced well-being in heart failure. Incorporating these patient-related factors into disease management could improve long-term outcomes and better reflect real-world patient experiences.