Assessing the impact of diabetes screening on quality of life or quality of health?: semantics are important

Health-related quality of life in people with type 1 Diabetes Mellitus: data from the Brazilian Type 1 Diabetes Study Group

Background

Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus (Type 1 DM) affects the psychological and emotional well-being of patients and their families. This study aims to evaluate the health- related quality of life (HRQoL) of people with Type 1 DM in Brazil, a country of continental proportions, using the EuroQol questionnaires.

Methods

This was a retrospective, cross-sectional, multicenter study performed by the Brazilian Type 1 Diabetes Study Group, by analyzing EuroQol scores from 3,005 participants with Type 1 DM, in 28 public clinics in Brazil. Data on demography, economical status, chronic complications, glycemic control and lipid profile were also collected.

Results

The assessment of HRQoL by the EuroQol showed that the average score assigned to general health in Brazil is markedly lower than those found in two other Type 1 DM population-based studies conducted in Europe (EQ–VAS from the Netherlands, the United Kingdom and Brazil were 80.8 ± 15.2, 75.1 ± 18.4 and 72.5 ± 22, respectively). Additionally, our data suggest that a better glycemic control could positively impact the HRQoL of people with Type 1 DM, implying that each 1 % reduction in glycated haemoglobin might lead to an increase of 1.5 points in general health status assessed by the EuroQol.

Conclusions

This is a population-based study evaluating the HRQoL of people with Type 1 DM in Brazil. Our data indicate a worse quality of health of people with Type 1 DM in Brazil in comparison to Europe, and suggest that a better glycemic control could positively impact the HRQoL of these individuals. However, this study points to the existence of additional factors not yet evaluated that could be determinant in the HRQoL of these people.

Quality of life in neurooncology—age matters

Object

Due partly to therapeutic improvements and prolonged patient survival, the field of neurooncology is gradually undergoing a philosophical shift, progressively moving toward a more functional approach to patient welfare. This shift includes, as one of its defining objectives, the promotion of elevated levels of quality of life (QOL) and quality of health (QOH) for patients of all ages. Unfortunately, an adult life-stage perspective has never been used to study the long-lasting impact of age on well-being in neurooncology patients.

Methods

In this study, the authors assessed and compared the QOL and QOH scores of 42 younger adults (≤ 40 years of age) and 88 older adults (> 40 years of age) presenting with a primary supratentorial tumor.

Results

After having controlled for biomedical and treatment-related factors, the authors discovered that older adults reported lower functional well-being and poorer neurocognitive functioning than younger adults. This age difference appeared earlier than expected (developing as early as middle age), suggesting an accelerated effect of disease on the aging process. Importantly, it was also found that the variables that predict QOL and QOH differed depending on patient age. For example, support from friends was a significant predictor of QOL for younger adults, whereas the capacity to continue enjoying life was a significant predictor for older adults. Moreover, the presence of a high-grade tumor and increased physical pain had a negative impact on the QOH of younger adults, whereas increased difficulty with concentration negatively impacted the QOH of older adults.

Conclusions

These age differences clearly warn against consolidating the QOL or QOH scores of younger and older adults, and instead suggest that age at diagnosis is essential when considering patient perspective, and when establishing tailored support programs.

Quality of life, health status and clinical outcomes in Type 2 diabetes patients

This study examines relationships between patient reported outcomes (PROs) and clinical outcomes in Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Patients at the outpatient clinics of a university hospital completed measures of generic health status (SF-12), diabetes-specific quality of life (Audit of Diabetes Dependent Quality of Life - ADDQoL), and depressive symptoms (Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression - CES-D). Patient reported data were merged with a retrospective collection of clinical and utilization data, including HbA1C, from electronic medical records. A Charlson comorbidity score, diabetes complications score, BMI, and total number of ER and hospital visits were calculated. Usable response rate was 44.3% (n = 385). Patients were dichotomized into glycemic control levels based on the ADA recommended A1C level < 7.0, vs. >or= 7.0. The ADDQoL, PCS-12, and MCS-12 scores were separately examined as dependent variables using hierarchical regression models, with glycemic control as the primary explanatory variable, and controlling for demographics and clinical variables including comorbidities and complications. Glycemic control was not a significant predictor in any regression model. Obesity was a significant predictor leading to poorer PCS-12 and MCS-12 scores, while depressive symptoms significantly resulted in lower PCS-12, MCS-12 and ADDQoL scores. These and other factors related to self-management behaviors may contribute to a greater understanding of how to intervene with patients with T2DM. The use of such PROs alongside biomedical measures such as A1C is recommended.

Physical activity enhances long-term quality of life in older adults: Efficacy, esteem, and affective influences

BACKGROUND

Physical activity has been effective in enhancing quality of life (QOL) of older adults over relatively short periods of time. However, little is known about the long-term effects of physical activity and even less about the possible mediators of this relationship.

PURPOSE

We examined the mediating effects of psychological variables on the relationship between physical activity and global QOL (satisfaction with life) in older adults over a 4-year period.

METHODS

Participants (N = 174, M age = 66.7 years) completed a battery of psychosocial measures at 1 and 5 years following enrollment in a 6-month randomized controlled exercise trial.

RESULTS

Panel analysis conducted within a covariance modeling framework indicated that physical activity was related to self-efficacy, physical self-esteem, and positive affect at 1 year, and in turn, greater levels of self-efficacy and positive affect were associated with higher levels of QOL. Analyses indicated that changes in physical activity over the 4-year period were related to increases in physical self-esteem and positive affect, but only positive affect directly influenced improvements in QOL.

CONCLUSIONS

The findings lend support to the position that physical activity effects on QOL are in part mediated by intermediate psychological outcomes and that physical activity can have long-term effects on well-being.