Clinical factors that impair health-related quality of life in ulcerative colitis patients vary with the disease duration.
OBJECTIVE
The health-related quality of life (HRQOL) of patients with ulcerative colitis (UC) can be impaired because of the chronic symptoms. Although UC patients suffer from such symptoms over the long term, there have been few reports on the changes of HRQOL with disease duration. The aim of this study was to clarify these changes.


METHODS
The HRQOL of 331 Japanese UC patients was examined using the validated Japanese version of the Inflammatory Bowel Disease Questionnaire (J-IBDQ). HRQOL and factors affecting HRQOL identified using multiple linear regression analysis were stratified by disease duration.


RESULTS
Of the 15 clinical factors examined, the clinical activity index score was the strongest determinant (P<0.0001) of all the scores of IBDQ regardless of disease duration. HRQOL did not differ significantly among patients with different disease durations. The factors, however, that affected HRQOL varied according to disease duration. In patients with disease duration of less than 5 years, the clinical activity index score was the predominant factor affecting HRQOL. Being 'on sick leave or hospitalized' was a significant factor impairing HRQOL in patients with disease duration of 5-9 years. Moreover, complications due to corticosteroids significantly impaired all of the IBDQ scores in patients with disease duration of 10 years or more.


CONCLUSIONS
Factors that affected the HRQOL of UC patients varied according to the patients' disease duration. Our findings should assist in the development of a long-term strategy for the treatment of UC patients.
Kuriyama
Motoaki
M
Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry, and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama, Japan.
Kato
Jun
J
Kuwaki
Kenji
K
Morimoto
Naofumi
N
Nawa
Toru
T
Fujimoto
Tsuyoshi
T
Kono
Hiroyuki
H
Okano
Nobuaki
N
Miyaike
Jiro
J
Morita
Takechiyo
T
Okada
Hiroyuki
H
Suzuki
Seiyuu
S
Yoshioka
Toshifumi
T
Shiode
Junji
J
Suwaki
Kinichiro
K
Sakaguchi
Kohsaku
K
Shiratori
Yasushi
Y
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003093:Colitis, Ulcerative / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D018450:Disease Progression; D004812:Epidemiologic Methods; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011788:Quality of Life; D013997:Time Factors; D055815:Young Adult