title: Biological therapy increases the health-related quality of life in patients with inflammatory bowel disease in a clinical setting.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs) have a considerable impact on the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of patients. We aimed to investigate the effect of biological therapy on HRQoL in IBD patients followed in an out-patient clinical setting and to compare the HRQoL scores to that of IBD patients without disease activity.
  
  
  METHODS
  Observational and retrospective study in patients treated with biologics. A Short Health Scale (SHS) questionnaire on HRQoL consisting of four items (bowel symptoms, interference in daily life, worry, and general well-being) was completed and registered in each patient's medical journal. Data on HRQoL was collected at the beginning of treatment and every 3 months thereafter. The biologically treated group was compared with a control group of IBD patients without disease activity.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We identified 114 patients who began a new round of biological treatment. These were either naïve to biologics or had a break in treatment for more 3 months. After 3 months of therapy, significant improvements in HRQoL compared to baseline were observed for every item on the SHS (p value < 0.01). Subgroup analysis showed a poorer HRQoL performance in women, patients with Crohn's disease, and smokers. The median HRQoL score regarding bowel symptoms and interference in daily life was similar to the control group after 6 months of treatment.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Treatment with biological therapy leads to a statistically and clinically significant improvement in HRQoL in all parameters. After 6 months of treatment, bowel symptoms and interference in daily life were similar to patients without disease activity.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Hepatology and Gastroenterology , Aarhus University Hospital , Aarhus , Denmark.
authors.forename: Anne Sofie Krogh
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Holdam
authors.affiliation: a Department of Hepatology and Gastroenterology , Aarhus University Hospital , Aarhus , Denmark.
authors.forename: Palle
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Bager
authors.affiliation: a Department of Hepatology and Gastroenterology , Aarhus University Hospital , Aarhus , Denmark.
authors.forename: Jens Frederik
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Dahlerup
mesh_terms: D000068879:Adalimumab / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001691:Biological Therapy; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006305:Health Status Indicators; D006801:Humans; D015212:Inflammatory Bowel Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy*; D000069285:Infliximab / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011788:Quality of Life; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; D000069285:Infliximab; D000068879:Adalimumab
keywords: Biological therapy; inflammatory bowel diseases; quality of life