Impact of chronic urticaria on the quality of life of patients followed up at a university hospital

Abstract

BACKGROUNDChronic urticaria is a debilitating disease that considerably affects health-related quality of life, and the Chronic Urticaria Quality of Life Questionnaire is the only questionnaire specifically designed for its evaluation.OBJECTIVETo evaluate the quality of life of patients with chronic urticaria, using the Brazilian Portuguese version of the Chronic Urticaria Quality of Life Questionnaire.METHODSThe Chronic Urticaria Quality of Life Questionnaire was self-administered in 112 chronic urticaria patients and disease activity was assessed through the Urticaria Activity Score. Clinical and socio-demographic characteristics of patients were studied, such as: age, sex, etiologic diagnosis of chronic urticaria, duration of disease and Urticaria Activity Score.RESULTSThe population studied was composed 85.72% of women with a mean age of 46 years (18-90), while the median disease duration period was 10 years (3 months-60 years). Regarding the etiologic diagnosis, 48.22% had chronic spontaneous urticaria; 22.32% associated with inducible urticaria, 28.57% with chronic autoimmune urticaria, and 23.21% had physical urticaria alone. Disease activity evaluated using the Urticaria Activity Score was 1.04 ± 1.61 (0-6). The total score for the Chronic Urticaria Quality of Life Questionnaire was 36 (0-100) and dimension I (sleep/mental status/eating) had a greater impact on quality of life. The items with the highest mean scores were nervousness and shame over lesions, while the items with the lowest scores were lip swelling and limitations on sporting activities.CONCLUSIONSChronic urticaria compromises patients' quality of life, mainly those with more severe disease or who are diagnosed with chronic autoimmune urticaria.

The impact of omalizumab on quality of life and its predictors in patients with chronic spontaneous urticaria: Real‐life data

“…The higher mean DLQI (12.1) and CU‐Q2oL (54.4) scores in the current study might be attributed to the inclusion of patients with more severe and recalcitrant disease. Consistently with the existing data, the most affected subdomains were work/school and symptoms/feelings for DLQI, and sleep and pruritus for CU‐Q2oL in the present study (Dias et al, ; Liu et al, ; Maurer, Abuzakouk, et al, ).…”

Impact of chronic urticaria on quality of life and work in Japan: Results of a real‐world study

“…This confirms a significantly impaired QoL in the wide spectrum of CU patients, as well as in the specialized centers that have been previously reported. 6,27,28 In addition, this RELEASE study evaluated disease control of urticaria using UCT for the first time in Japan and revealed that approximately 64% of CU patients at the time of survey displayed a UCT score of less than 12, indicating uncontrolled symptoms. Those CU patients with lower UCT scores showed higher DLQI total scores compared with patients with high UCT scores.…”

Calidad de vida en urticaria crónica y su relación con el impacto económico y control de la enfermedad en pacientes atendidos en el Hospital Universitario de Monterrey, México

“…13 Valero et al observaron una proporción de mujeres de 62.1 %, 14 mientras que Dias registró 85.7 %. 16 Se acepta que la razón mujer:hombre es de 2:1, ligeramente mayor a la encontrada en nuestro estudio. 17 La media de la edad en nuestro estudio fue de 39.9 años ± 15.6, similar a los 33.9 años ± 16.8 en el estudio de Hernández Ochoa y a 35.8 años ± 18.9 informada por Ferrer.…”

“…Este promedio corresponde a "un poco" de afectación en la calidad de vida, que se observó en 66.7 % de los pacientes de nuestro estudio. Se ha identifi cado que los pacientes refi eren mayor afectación en los parámetros referentes a prurito y problemas de sueño por sobre el edema, actividades, limitaciones y aspecto/imagen, 14,16 con porcentajes similares a los reportados por nuestro equipo: 46.5 y 26.2% para prurito y problemas de sueño, respectivamente.…”