Assessing health related quality of life in diabetic patients

The number of people with diabetes mellitus (DM) is increasing. For chronic illnesses such as DM, where there is no cure, it is important to establish that therapy really makes people feel better. The purpose of the study was to analyze the quality of life in a group of diabetic patients without major complications.

The study group consisted of 50 patients, males and females, aged 60 (+/- 6), diagnosed with type 2 DM and followed up at an outpatient clinic. The Romanian version of the SF-36 questionnaire was used as a health survey tool to measure the quality of life (QOL) of patients in the study.

Validity (coefficient alpha Cronbach) was > 0.7 for all scales except social functioning. QOL scores for study group were significantly lower compared with general population. Examining the effects of insulin use and QOL, there are no significant differences between patients following insulin therapy and patients with other therapeutic protocols. Role limitations due to emotional problems correlate with disease duration. Statistical analysis demonstrates a significant correlation between energy/fatigue scores and HbA1c. There are no other statistically significant correlations between SF-36 scores and other variables analyzed.

Patients with DM have statistically significant impairment of all aspects of QOL, not simply physical functioning. DM put a substantial burden on affected individuals by influencing physical, psychological and social aspects of QOL. The progressive nature of type 2 DM and the real risk for developing chronic complications certifies that insulin use will be a reality for most diabetic patients, but its use did not seem to have a negative impact upon QOL. Glycemic control becomes an important measurement for preventing long-terms complications and provides a better QOL to diabetic patient. This end-point should be a much more important target for healthcare interventions.