RESUMO  Objetivo: avaliar a qualidade de vida relacionada à saúde de pacientes com marca-passo cardíaco definitivo.  Método: estudo observacional descritivo, transversal, realizado no ambulatório de arritmia de um hospital universitário do interior paulista. Amostra consecutiva e não probabilística foi constituída de pacientes de ambos os sexos, maiores de 18 anos, com marca-passo há pelo menos um mês. Foram excluídos os que não apresentaram condições cognitivas para responder aos questionários, como também aqueles que apresentaram dispneia, fraqueza e fadiga no momento da aplicação dos instrumentos e com cardioversor desfibrilador implantável. Para a avaliação da qualidade de vida relacionada à saúde, utilizou-se o instrumento genérico Medical Outcomes Study 36 - Item Short-Form Health Survey, composto por 36 questões distribuídas em oito domínios, e o instrumento específico Assessment of Quality of Life and Related Events, composto por 20 questões distribuídas em três domínios.  Resultados:  participaram 88 pacientes, a maioria do sexo masculino e com companheiro, com a média de idade de 64,3 (±13). Os domínios que apresentaram maiores médias, assim como melhores avaliações, foram Aspectos Sociais (78,1; ±26,8) e Saúde Mental (68,2; ±23,9), e as menores foram em Aspectos Físicos (48,2; ±41,4) e Capacidade Funcional (58,5; ±27,9), referentes ao Medical Outcomes Study 36. Quanto ao Assessment of Quality of Life and Related Events, o domínio de maior média e melhor qualidade de vida foi Arritmia (78,2; ±20,7), e o de menor, Dispneia (71,1; ±26,8).  Conclusão:  os pacientes apresentaram melhores avaliações da qualidade de vida relacionada à saúde nos domínios mentais e piores nos domínios físicos.

ABSTRACT  Objective: to assess the health-related quality of life of patients with a permanent cardiac pacemaker.  Method: descriptive, observational, cross-sectional study conducted in the arrhythmia outpatient unit of a university hospital located in the interior of São Paulo, Brazil. The consecutive and non-probabilistic sample was composed of both sexes, older than 29 years old, having a pacemaker for at least one month. Those lacking the cognitive condition to answer the questionnaires, as well as those with dyspnea, weakness, or fatigue at the time the instruments were applied, or with an implantable cardioverter defibrillator, were excluded. The generic instrument Medical Outcomes Study 36 - Item Short-Form Health Survey, composed of 36 questions distributed into eight domains along with the specific instrument Assessment of Quality of Life and Related Events, composed of 20 questions distributed into three domains, were used to assess health-related quality of life.  Results:  88 patients participated; most were men, had a partner, and were aged 64.3 (±13) years old on average. The domains from the Medical Outcomes Study 36 that obtained the highest means, that is, were the best-rated, were Social Functioning (78.1; ±26.8) and Emotional Well-Being (68.2; ±23.9), while the lowest means were obtained by Physical Health (48.2; ±41.4) and Physical Functioning (58.5; ±27.9). In regard to the Assessment of Quality of Life and Related Events, the Arrhythmia domain had the highest mean and best quality of life (78.2; ±20.7), while the lowest mean was Dyspnea (71.1; ±26.8).  Conclusion:  the patients gave the highest health-related quality of life ratings in regard to mental domains and the lowest ratings for the physical domains.