Reduced Quality of Life in Patients with Chronic
Viral Liver Disease as Assessed by SF12 Questionnaire
download
Full Article (PDF file)
Neda Svirtlih1, Sladjana Pavic2, Dragica
Terzic3, Dragan Delic1, Jasmina Simonovic1,
Eleonora Gvozdenovic1, Ivan Boricicsup4
1) Institute for Infectious and Tropical Diseases, Clinical
Centre of Serbia, Medical Faculty, University of Belgrade;
2) Clinical Centre of Uzice, Department for Infectious Diseases,
Uzice, Serbia;
3) Clinical Centre of Podgorica, Department for Infectious Diseases,
Podgorica, Montenegro, 4) Institute of Pathology, Medical Faculty,
University of Belgrade, Serbia
Abstract
Background & Aim. Quality of life may be
reduced in patients with chronic liver diseases. The purpose of
this study was to assess the impact of chronic viral liver disease
on health-related quality of life (HRQOL).
Patients and methods. Quality of life was prospectively
investigated in 227 patients with chronic viral liver disease
and 75 controls. The generic Short Form 12 questionnaire was applied
to measure the HRQOL. Mental and physical component scores were
expressed as numeric and categorical values (presence/absence
of disability). The electronic database (SPSS for Windows) was
used for statistical analysis with 95% confidence intervals.
Results. Mental and physical numeric and categorical
scores for the absence of disability were significantly worse
in patients compared with controls. Patients were a negative predictive
factor for the absence of disability on both mental and physical
components while the physical component was the significant factor
in multivariate regression analysis (p =0.000). There was no difference
in HRQOL scores among patients with hepatitis C or B virus infection.
Mental and physical numeric scores were lower in patients with
cirrhosis. Liver cirrhosis predicted lower components of the absence
of disability in comparison to chronic hepatitis more influencing
the physical component (p =0.003).
Conclusions. Chronic viral liver disease reduces
and predicts a lower quality of life in comparison to a healthy
population impairing more the physical component. Hepatitis viruses
do not influence differently the quality of life. Liver cirrhosis
has a higher negative impact on the quality of life than chronic
hepatitis, especially relating to a physical component.
Key words
Quality of life - chronic hepatitis - cirrhosis - hepatitis C
virus - hepatitis B virus
