Health-related quality of life in relation to metabolic control and late complications in patients with insulin dependent diabetes mellitus.
To investigate important factors with respect to health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in patients with longstanding insulin dependent diabetes mellitus, a patient cohort was followed prospectively for 10 years. The degree of metabolic control and the presence of late complications was assessed and HRQOL was measured with a 61-item questionnaire (SWEDQUAL) in which reference values have been obtained in a population sample. The results indicate that diabetic patients (n = 108) experienced a quality of life as good as a general population. When patients were divided into four groups based on metabolic control, those with poor control (HbA1c > or = 9%) rated their physical and emotional functioning significantly lower than those with lower HbA1c values. Nearly 15% of the patients reported 1-5 hypoglycaemic episodes during the latest 6 months. Despite a lower HbA1c they rated their general health as being poorer than patients without severe hypoglycaemia. Of the 108 patients 39% appeared to be free from late complications of diabetes. These patients rated their general health as better than patients who already had developed late complications. We conclude that a satisfactory metabolic control with a minimum of hypoglycaemic episodes is desirable not only to prevent late complications but also because poor metabolic control seems to be one reason why diabetic patients experience a poorer quality of life.
College of Health and Caring Sciences, Falun, Sweden.
K
K
Wikblad
J
J
Leksell
L
L
Wibell
D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000378:metabolism*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D003922:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D011788:Quality of Life; D013548:Sweden / Q000453:epidemiology
D001786:Blood Glucose