Health-related quality of life in Portuguese patients with narcolepsy

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate the perception of health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in Portuguese patients with narcolepsy, and to compare the results to normative data.

Methods: Fifty-one narcoleptic adults (26M, 25F), aged between 18 and 80 years (mean=43.35, SD=15.32), were included in the final analysis of a multicentric cross-sectional study. The Medical Outcome Study--36 Item Short-Form Survey (SF-36) was used to assess quality of life, and the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) was used for self-assessment of depression.

Results: Several HRQoL domains were significantly lower than National surveys, except physical function and bodily pain (p between 0.000 and 0.006). SF-36 presented the lowest score in vitality (39.93). Deterioration was significantly higher in role physical (p=0.006), vitality (p=0.011), and mental health (p=0.008) in women, and in physical function (p=0.003) and bodily pain (p=0.045) in elderly subjects. Those with higher literacy had better physical function (p=0.046).

Conclusion: HRQoL is significantly deteriorated in narcoleptics, affecting all dimensions (except physical function and bodily pain) when compared with the general Portuguese population. The results are consistent with studies of narcolepsy in other countries in demonstrating the profound impact of this disorder on quality of life.