Quality of life and life satisfaction in patients with Behçet's disease: relationship with disease activity

Abstract

Quality of life (QoL) and life satisfaction (LS) are important outcome factors in chronic inflammatory conditions such as Behçet's disease (BD). The aim of this study was to investigate QoL and LS in patients with BD and determine the relationship with disease activity. Forty-one patients with BD and 40 control subjects were involved in the study. Demographic properties were obtained. Disease activity was assessed by Turkish version of BD Current Activity Form (BDCAF) in BD patients. QoL and psychological well-being were assessed by Nottingham Health Profile (NHP) and Life Satisfaction Index (LSI), respectively, in both patients and control groups. The related disease activity measures of QoL and LS were determined. Twenty-two male and 19 female BD patients with a mean age of 33.3+/-9.3 years and 20 male and 20 female control subjects with a mean age of 33.3+/-4.1 years were involved. According to BDCAF, no patient had central nervous system involvement. Thirty-four patients had headache, 33 patients had fatigue, 30 patients had articular involvement, 29 had mucocutaneous lesions, 27 had gastrointestinal involvement, 21 patients had ocular involvement, and 7 patients had vascular involvement. The scores of all dimensions of NHP were significantly higher and the mean score of LSI was significantly lower in BD patients than in control subjects (p<0.001). Correlation analysis indicated that the scores of fatigue, joint involvement, and oral ulcers were the most related factors for physical domains of NHP, whereas joint involvement and genital ulcers were the most related activity measures for psychosocial subscales of NHP. LS was found to be most related with the scores of patient's and physician's impression of disease activity and joint involvement. In conclusion, patients with BD have impaired QoL and disturbed psychological well-being. Current management strategies focusing on fatigue, arthralgia, mucocutaneous lesions, and efforts to measure psychosocial aspects and symptoms of the patients by their point of view will help to improve QoL and raise the LS in patients suffering from BD.

Disease Activity in Turkish Patients with Behçet's Disease: Association with Fatigue, Psychological Status and Quality of Life

“…15 Firstly in 1969, Mason and Barnes defined arthritis as a clinical manifestation of BD. 16 In 1974, O'Duffy placed arthritis among the diagnostic criteria of BD.…”

Quality of life in patients with Behcet's disease and Recurrent aphthous stomatitis

“…Böylece, tıbbın bütün alanlarında hastaya bütünsel olarak yaklaşma, fiziksel, ruhsal ve sosyal açıdan iyilik durumunu ölçmek amacıyla yaşam kalitesi kavramı ortaya çıkmıştır 26 . BH'nin yaşam kalitesi üzerindeki olumsuz etkilerine dair yapılmış çalışmalar mevcuttur [7][8][9][10] . Bu çalışmalarda BH'nin yaşam kalitelerindeki düşüşe ek olarak depresyon oranlarının arttığı, hayattan zevk alma indekslerinin düştüğü gözlenmiştir 9,10 .…”

“…BH'nin yaşam kalitesi üzerindeki olumsuz etkilerine dair yapılmış çalışmalar mevcuttur [7][8][9][10] . Bu çalışmalarda BH'nin yaşam kalitelerindeki düşüşe ek olarak depresyon oranlarının arttığı, hayattan zevk alma indekslerinin düştüğü gözlenmiştir 9,10 . BH ile yapılan çalışmalarda yaşam kalitesini değerlendirme amaçlı dermatoloji ve genel sağlığa özgü testler kullanılmıştır.…”

“…38 semptomlar ve duygular ile kişisel ilişkilerin en çok orogenital ülserden etkilendiğini; Bodur ve ark. 9 ile Kılınç ve ark. 7 yaşam kalitesini etkileyen faktörler arasında genital ülser olduğunu belirtmişlerdir.…”

“…Kronik ve ataklarla seyir gösteren BH; bedensel ve ruhsal engelliğe yol açabilen, önemli morbidite ve mortalite sebebidir 7,8 . BH ve yaşam kalitesi üzerine yapılan çalışmalarda, BH'nin yaşam kalitesi üzerine olumsuz etkileri olduğu, hayattan zevk alma indekslerinin düştüğü, depresyon oranlarının arttığı gözlenmiştir 7,9,10 . BH ile yapılan çalışmalarda yaşam kalitesini değerlendirme amaçlı dermatoloji ve genel sağlığa özgü testler kullanılmıştır.…”