Quality of Life in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus
Author Information
Author(s): PANTELIS PANOPALIS, ANN E. CLARKE
Primary Institution: University of California, UCSF and McGill University Health Centre
Hypothesis
A comprehensive assessment of systemic lupus erythematosus should include quality of life and economic costs in addition to disease activity and damage.
Conclusion
Improved outcome measures for quality of life in systemic lupus erythematosus may facilitate drug development and enhance patient care.
Supporting Evidence
- The SF-36 is the most commonly used measure of quality of life in systemic lupus erythematosus.
- Persons with systemic lupus erythematosus have a significantly poorer quality of life than those without chronic illness.
- Newly developed SLE-specific questionnaires may be more responsive than generic measures.
Takeaway
This study looks at how systemic lupus erythematosus affects people's lives and suggests that better ways to measure quality of life can help doctors treat patients more effectively.
Methodology
The study reviews various quality of life measures used in systemic lupus erythematosus, including generic and disease-specific questionnaires.
Limitations
The newly developed SLE-specific questionnaires require further evaluation before routine use.
Participant Demographics
The study involved 275 persons with systemic lupus erythematosus.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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