Uvod: Kakovost življenja predstavlja pomembno dimenzijo življenja pacientov z multiplo sklerozo, na katero vplivajo številni dejavniki. Namen raziskave je ugotoviti vpliv nevrološke prizadetosti na telesno in duševno z zdravjem povezano kakovost življenja pacientov z multiplo sklerozo, starih med 50 in 59 let ter starejših od 60 let.Metode: Presečna raziskava je bila izvedena na vzorcu 130 pacientov z multiplo sklerozo, starih med 50 in 73 let. Ocenjeni so bili z razširjeno lestvico stopnje nevrološke prizadetosti, vprašalnikom o kakovosti življenja pri multipli sklerozi (telesna in duševna z zdravjem povezana kakovost življenja) in vprašalnikom o značilnostih pacientov z multiplo sklerozo. Uporabljeni so bili opisna statistika, Kolmogorov-Smirnov test, Spearmanov koeficient korelacije rangov in linearna regresijska analiza.Rezultati: Nevrološka prizadetost pri pacientih z multiplo sklerozo, starih med 50 in 59 let, vpliva na telesno z zdravjem povezano kakovost življenja (R² = 0,251, p < 0,001), pri pacientih, starih med 60 in 73 let, pa na telesno (R² = 0,250, p < 0,001) in duševno z zdravjem povezano kakovost življenja (R² = 0,063, p = 0,044).Diskusija in zaključek: Vpliv nevrološke prizadetosti se po 60. letu starosti s telesne razširi tudi na duševno raven življenja pacientov z multiplo sklerozo. Nevrološko prizadeti pacienti morajo biti z namenom ohranjanja kakovosti življenja med 50. in 59. letom spremljani na področju fizičnega zdravja, med 60. in 73. letom pa tudi na področju duševnega zdravja.

Introduction: The purpose of the study was to identify possible correlations between the quality of life, neurological disability, and functional ability in patients with multiple sclerosis.Methods: 258 patients with multiple sclerosis were included in the cross-sectional study. They were assessed with the Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS), the Berg Balance Scale (BBS), the Timed 25-Foot Walk Test (T25-FW), the 9-Hole Peg Test (9HPT), the Paced Auditory Serial Addition Test (PASAT-3) and the EQ visual analogue scale (EQ-VAS). Inferential statistics were used.Results: A positive correlation between the EQ-VAS and the BBS (r = 0.43, p < 0.01 ) and the PASAT-3 (r =¸0.19, p < 0.01), and a negative correlation between the EQ-VAS and the T25FW (r = –0.42, p < 0.01) and the 9-HPT (r = –0.40, p < 0.01) were shown. A negative correlation was also observed between the EDSS and the BBS (r = –0.77, p < 0.05) as well as the EDSS and the PASAT-3 (r = –0.25, p < 0.01), and a positive correlation between the EDSS and the 9 HPT (r = 0.67, p < 0.01) and the T25-FW (r = 0.80, p < 0.01).Discussion and conclusion: Associations between the variables indicate the need for complex, personalized and rational monitoring of patients with multiple sclerosis.