Quality of life in patients with adrenal disease: A systematic review

Evaluating the patient with adrenal disease is challenging due to the lack of precise clinical and biochemical parameters for disease control. Quality of life (QOL) evaluation aims to measure the patient's subjective experience.

To describe how QOL is defined and measured in adrenal disease, critically appraise the use of QOL tools in published literature, discuss the implications of these findings and provide direction for further research in this field.

We searched the Cochrane library, EMBASE, Google Scholar, PsycINFO, PubMed, Web of Science databases to identify only primary studies where self-reported QOL was measured as a parameter in adults with confirmed adrenal disease, and results presented in English. Key data were independently extracted from each study and adherence to reporting guidelines evaluated.

A total of 117 studies involving 13 717 subjects were included. The vast majority of studies did not define QOL. The most common approach was to combine generic and domain-specific tools, although disease-specific tools are increasingly being used. Adherence to reporting guidelines was variable. A narrative synthesis of the findings was performed.

We present the first systematic review of QOL in adrenal disease. Quality of life is reduced in patients with adrenal disease, irrespective of adrenal hyperfunction or hypofunction. Quality of life improved with therapy but was not completely reversed despite biochemical remission. Authors should adhere to consistent reporting practices which are interpretable by clinicians. Further research is required to explain the mechanisms driving impaired QOL and value of QOL evaluations in the clinical context.