Objectives: This study was undertaken to evaluate the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in patients with primary Sjögren's syndrome (pSS) and to identify its predictors among various clinical parameters.
Methods: The EuroQoL-5 dimension (EQ-5D) was used to measure the patients' HRQoL. The utility values of 178 patients with pSS enrolled in a prospective pSS cohort in Korea were analysed and compared with the Korean normative data. The associations among the clinical parameters and utility values were evaluated.
Results: The mean utility value of the pSS patients was significantly lower than that of the Korean general population (0.773±0.138 vs. 0.944±0.095, p<0.001). The proportion of patients with problems in the 4 dimensions was significantly higher in the pSS patients than in the general population (anxiety/depression 70.2 vs. 24.2%, pain 78.7 vs. 28.8%, usual activities 37.6 vs. 9.8%, and mobility 40.4 vs. 12.5%, p<0.001). Bivariate correlation analyses revealed that the degree of pain, fatigue, and patient global assessment of the disease was positively correlated with the utility value. The xerostomia inventory score, ocular surface disease index, and the EULAR Sjögren's syndrome patient-reported index (ESSPRI) also correlated with the utility value. On multiple regression analysis, only the ESSPRI remained in the model after stepwise selection adjusted for age and sex (coefficient β =-0.053, p<0.001).
Conclusions: The HRQoL of pSS patients is significantly lower than that of the general population, and the ESSPRI is an independent predictor of the HRQoL in pSS patients.