The health-related quality-of-life impact of chronic conditions varied with age in general population.
OBJECTIVE
To estimate the individual- and population-level impact of major chronic conditions on health-related quality of life (HRQoL) at different ages, to test whether the HRQoL impact of conditions varies with age, and to predict future changes of quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) lost due to morbidity.


METHODS
HRQoL was measured using two preference-based instruments, the 15D and the EQ-5D, in a representative sample of 8,028 Finns. Information on chronic somatic conditions was obtained by interviews. Psychiatric disorders were diagnosed using a structured interview (Munich version of the Composite International Diagnostic Interview).


RESULTS
The impact of chronic conditions on HRQoL increased fourfold when comparing people aged 30-44 years to people over 75 years. This was mostly due to increase in prevalence, but the severity of some conditions also varied with age. Musculoskeletal disorders had the largest and rather stable impact across ages on the population level. Psychiatric disorders placed the largest burden on HRQoL at 30-44 years, but their impact declined after 55 years. The aging of the Finnish population was predicted to increase annual QALYs lost due to morbidity by one quarter by year 2040.


CONCLUSIONS
The impact of conditions on HRQoL varied with age for each condition.
Saarni
Samuli I
SI
National Public Health Institute, Department of Mental Health and Alcohol Research, Mannerheimintie 166, 00300 Helsinki, Finland. samuli.saarni@helsinki.fi
Suvisaari
Jaana
J
Sintonen
Harri
H
Koskinen
Seppo
S
Härkänen
Tommi
T
Lönnqvist
Jouko
J
D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D002908:Chronic Disease / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D005260:Female; D005387:Finland / Q000453:epidemiology; D006305:Health Status Indicators; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D011788:Quality of Life; D019057:Quality-Adjusted Life Years; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors