Quality of Life of Adult Coeliac Patients Treated for 10 Years

Background: For patients with coeliac disease, adherence to a gluten-free diet (GFD) is essential to restore the intestinal mucosa. It is less clear whether this ensures well-being of the patient. We have therefore assessed aspects of the quality of life of adult coeliac patients who had been on a G...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Scandinavian journal of gastroenterology 1998, Vol.33 (9), p.933-938
Main Authors: HALLERT, C, GRÄNNÖ, C, GRANT, C, HULTEN, S, MIDHAGEN, G, STRÖM, M, SVENSSON, H, VALDIMARSSON, T, WICKSTRÖM, T
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adult
Aged
Biological and medical sciences
Celiac Disease - diet therapy
Celiac Disease - psychology
Female
Gastroenterology. Liver. Pancreas. Abdomen
Glutens - administration & dosage
Health Status
Humans
Male
Medical sciences
Middle Aged
Other diseases. Semiology
Quality of Life
Stomach. Duodenum. Small intestine. Colon. Rectum. Anus
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Summary:Background: For patients with coeliac disease, adherence to a gluten-free diet (GFD) is essential to restore the intestinal mucosa. It is less clear whether this ensures well-being of the patient. We have therefore assessed aspects of the quality of life of adult coeliac patients who had been on a GFD for 10 years. Methods: By means of the Short Form 36 Health Survey (SF-36), the subjective health status was measured in 89 adult coeliac patients (61% women) aged 35-74 years. Patients shown to be in histologic remission (n = 60) were evaluated by means of the Gastrointestinal Symptom Rating Scale (GSRS). Results: The coeliac patients scored significantly lower in the SF-36 than general population, notably within the General Health and Vitality domains. The low scoring was confined to the female patients, who also reported significantly more gastrointestinal symptoms in the GSRS than the male coeliacs. The functional status and perceived health of the coeliac patients appeared unrelated to their biopsy findings. Conclusions: After 10 years on a GFD adult coeliac patients fail to attain the same degree of subjective health as the general population. This is particularly true for female patients and suggests that factors beyond normalization of the intestinal mucosa are of importance for the perceived health status of coeliacs diagnosed in adult life.
ISSN:0036-5521
1502-7708
DOI:10.1080/003655298750026949