title: Long-term impact of pregnancy-related venous thrombosis on quality-of-life, general health and functioning: results of a cross-sectional, case-control study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the long-term consequences of pregnancy-related venous thrombosis (VT) by the assessment of generic quality-of-life (QOL), well-being, general health and daily-life functioning. We also wanted to evaluate the impact of the frequently occurring complication post-thrombotic syndrome (PTS) after that of deep vein thrombosis (DVT).
  
  
  METHODS
  Population-based cross-sectional, case-control study.
  
  
  METHODS
  18 Norwegian hospitals during 1990-2003.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study population comprised 559 cases with a validated first-ever, pregnancy-related VT and 1229 controls naïve for VT at the time of index pregnancy. Cases were identified using the Norwegian Patient Register and the Medical Birth Registry of Norway and the latter was used to select as controls women who gave birth at the same time as a case. After exclusion of two cases with missing location of VT, the final study population comprised 311 cases and 353 controls.
  
  
  METHODS
  Self-completion of a comprehensive questionnaire in 2006.
  
  
  METHODS
  Generic QOL and well-being assessed by the Ferrans and Powers QOL Index (QLI) and the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-20).
  
  
  RESULTS
  QOL assessed by QLI did not differ between cases and controls; mean score 23.1 (95% CI 22.7 to 23.5) vs 23.7 (23.3 to 24.0), neither did well being assessed by GHQ-20; 18.7 (18.0 to 19.4) vs 17.9 (17.3 to 18.4). However, cases reported pain other than in the lower limbs and muscle-skeletal problems more often and were more often physically worn out after work compared with controls. Cases which developed PTS reported poorer health, had pain more often, developed skin and psychiatric problems, used analgesic drugs more frequently and were more often on sick leave as compared to those without PTS.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Long-term generic QOL and subjective well-being 3-16 years after a pregnancy-related VT were not different from a reference population, but women with PTS after DVT seemed to have poorer QOL and an impaired general health.
authors.affiliation: Department of Haematology and Research Institute of Internal Medicine, Oslo University Hospital Rikshospitalet, Oslo, Norway.
authors.forename: Hilde Skuterud
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Wik
authors.forename: Anne Flem
authors.initials: AF
authors.lastname: Jacobsen
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Sandvik
authors.forename: P M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Sandset