|
2009 Southern Regional Meeting Abstracts
Session: Joint Plenary Poster Session and Reception
QUALITY OF LIFE IN PATIENTS WITH MIXED CONNECTIVE TISSUE DISEASE USING SHORT FORM-36: COMPARISON TO A POPULATION WITH SYSTEMIC LUPUS ERYTHEMATOSUS
Ayala LE1,2, Acosta M1,2, Perez M1, Maldonado M1,2, Hoffman RW1,2, Lozada CJ1. 1University of Miami/Jackson Memorial Medical Center, Miami, FL and 2Miami Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Miami, FL.
Purpose of Study: Physical, mental and social disabilities are among the most significant impairments caused by rheumatic disease. Our purpose was to understand the effects of Mixed Connective Tissue Disease (MCTD) on quality of life and compare them to those in patients with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) where Short Form-36 (SF36) has been used extensively.
Methods Used: The SF36 was administered to consecutive patients with MCTD or SLE upon enrollment in our prospective, observational, longitudinal study in order to assess health related quality of life (HRQOL). SF36 is a multipurpose survey that measures patient centered general health outcomes. The cohort included widespread representation of different ethnic/racial groups. The MCTD cohort was 55% Hispanic, 35% African American and 10% Caucasian. The SLE group was 51% Hispanic, 44% African American and 6% Caucasian.
Summary of Results: The cohorts were similar in age and disease duration at enrollment. HRQOL was diminished in both patient groups across all 8 domains of the SF36. It was also decreased as measured by the Physical Health (PH) and Mental Health (MH)Summaries. For patients diagnosed with MCTD, all 8 domains of the SF36 were below average by >1SD. Physical Health summary had a score of 39.1 while Mental Health summary was 37.3. The difference was not statistically significant. In contrast in those with SLE, we found only 6 out of the 8 domains with an average of 1SD below the mean. Patients with MCTD had worse HRQOL than patients with SLE when evaluating mental health and vitality.
Conclusions: Patients with MCTD have decreased HRQOL when compared to the average healthy control population. The differences are similar to those seen in SLE although in those with MCTD there were trends suggesting worse mental health and vitality. Although, these differences were not statistically significant, they could be clinically relevant. In addition, MH summary scores were the most affected in patients with MCTD and PH summary scores the most affected in those with SLE suggesting subtle but perhaps clinically relevant differences in the effects of these diseases on HRQOL.
|
