Mehic D, Schwarz S, Shulym I, Ay C, Pabinger I, Gebhart J. Health-related quality of life is impaired in bleeding disorders of unknown cause: results from the Vienna Bleeding Biobank.
Res Pract Thromb Haemost 2023;
7:102176. [PMID:
37720482 PMCID:
PMC10502434 DOI:
10.1016/j.rpth.2023.102176]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2023] [Revised: 07/14/2023] [Accepted: 07/17/2023] [Indexed: 09/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Background
Bleeding disorder of unknown cause (BDUC) is a diagnosis of exclusion after extensive investigation of coagulation and platelet function and is commonly seen among patients with mild-to-moderate bleeding disorders. Despite increasing awareness among treating physicians, little is known about the health-related quality of life (HrQoL) in BDUC.
Objectives
To investigate HrQoL in patients with BDUC in comparison to the general population and patients diagnosed with other established bleeding disorders.
Methods
Patients with mild-to-moderate bleeding disorders from the Vienna Bleeding Biobank, a prospective cohort study, were contacted via mail and phone to complete the 36-Item Health Survey Questionnaire form.
Results
In total, 333/657 (50.7%) patients completed the 36-Item Health Survey Questionnaire. Patients with BDUC (n = 207, 62%) had significantly impaired HrQoL both in physical (47.8 vs 49.2) and mental health parameters (42.9 vs 51.0) compared to the general population (n = 2914, 56% females), which remained after adjustment for sex and age in multivariable linear regression. The impairment in HrQoL, compared to patients with von Willebrand disease, platelet function defects, or mild clotting factor deficiencies, did not prevail after adjustment for age and sex. In patients with BDUC, age and the presence of at least 1 comorbidity were associated with impaired physical health but not sex or bleeding severity. Of all analyzed bleeding symptoms, only joint bleeding was associated with impaired physical health and gastrointestinal bleeding with mental health in BDUC.
Conclusion
The impairments in HrQoL in patients with BDUC emphasize the burden of BDUC on mental and physical well-being, encouraging early recognition and better counseling of patients with BDUC.
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