Abstract
Purpose
This study was designed to identify the impact chronic ulcerative colitis (UC) has on the lives of patients compared to other chronic conditions. Overall, 451 patients with UC, 309 with rheumatoid arthritis, 305 with asthma, and 305 with migraine headaches were recruited in an Internet survey designed to assess a variety of disease-impact indices.
Results
Patients with UC reported a mean of eight (self-defined) flare-ups in the previous 12 months. Significantly more patients with UC (81%) believed that the quantity of flare-ups they experienced was ‘normal’, compared to patients with migraine headaches (64%) or asthma (75%). Patients with UC also reported significantly more worry about disease complications (84%), depression (62%), and embarrassment (70%) than patients with the other chronic conditions.
Conclusions
Compared to patients with other chronic conditions, patients with UC perceive substantially more negative impact upon their lives, especially with regard to the psychological burden.
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Abbreviations
- UC:
-
Ulcerative colitis
- UC: NORMAL:
-
Ulcerative colitis: new observations on remission, management and lifestyle
- RA:
-
Rheumatoid arthritis
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Acknowledgments
The authors acknowledge the contribution of Duncan Campbell PhD (GeoMed) for medical writing support, and Sarah Wright (GeoMed) for editorial assistance. This study was funded by Shire Pharmaceuticals Inc., Wayne, PA, USA.
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Rubin, D.T., Dubinsky, M.C., Panaccione, R. et al. The Impact of Ulcerative Colitis on Patients’ Lives Compared to Other Chronic Diseases: A Patient Survey. Dig Dis Sci 55, 1044–1052 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10620-009-0953-7
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10620-009-0953-7