Frequency and impact of disease symptoms experienced by patients with systemic sclerosis from five European countries

CER7458
2014 Vol.32, N°6 ,Suppl.86
PI 0088, PF 0093
Clinical aspects

Free to view
(click on article PDF icon to read the article)

PMID: 25372793 [PubMed]

Received: 28/03/2014
Accepted : 26/05/2014
In Press: 03/11/2014
Published: 03/11/2014

Abstract

OBJECTIVES:
Knowledge about the nature and impact of symptoms faced by patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc) is needed to identify targets for research and treatment. The aim of this study was to assess and compare the frequency and impact on everyday activities of SSc symptoms among patients from five European countries.
METHODS:
European patients with SSc were invited through announcements by patient associations to complete an online survey. The survey included items assessing the frequency of 40 SSc symptoms and the impact on daily activities, if present. Chi-square tests were utilised to assess the differences in frequency and impact of symptoms across countries.
RESULTS:
In total, 537 patients were included from France (n=111), the Netherlands (n=229), Spain (n=61), Switzerland (n=50), and the United Kingdom (n=86). Symptoms experienced by ≥70% of patients in all countries were fatigue, Raynaud`s phenomenon, joint pain, and muscle pain. Twenty symptoms were experienced by ≥50% of patients in all countries. Thirty symptoms had an impact on daily activities in ≥50% of patients who reported that the symptom was present in all countries. There were significant differences among countries in the prevalence of 17 out of 40 symptoms. Furthermore, in 24 out of 40 symptoms significant differences in the proportion of patients reporting impact of a specific symptom on everyday activities were observed.
CONCLUSIONS:
European patients with SSc experience a broad range of symptoms that have an impact on everyday activities. International research initiatives should target common SSc symptoms cooperatively. Further research is needed to better understand the differences in SSc symptoms among countries.