Determinants of Health-Related Quality of Life of Epilepsy Patients in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

Abstract

BackgroundEpilepsy puts an enormous burden on the physical and mental health of patients and can negatively impact their Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQoL). Previous studies have identified multiple factors impacting patients' HRQoL; however, a consensus has not been reached, as these factors vary among different populations. This has not been sufficiently investigated in Saudi Arabia. Thus, this study aims to assess the HRQoL of epilepsy patients, as measured by the Quality Of Life In Epilepsy-31 (QOLIE-31) questionnaire, to determine the effects of demographics, disease characteristics, and antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) on patients in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. MethodsThis was a cross-sectional, questionnaire-based study of adult epilepsy patients receiving AEDs who followed up at the epilepsy clinic at King Abdulaziz University Hospital between April 2018 and June 2018. Recruited individuals participated by phone interview. ResultsA total of 200 participants fulfilled our inclusion criteria and consented to participate; 57.4% were males. The average age was 32.8 years. The total average score on the QOLIE-31 was 61.56 (±17.52). QOLIE-31 scores correlated inversely with seizure frequency (p<.000) while the class of medication used, and the number of drugs administered did not correlate with HRQoL. ConclusionWhereas previous work has suggested a better quality of life when using newer generation AEDs, our study found no significant difference between the class of medication and whether monotherapy or polytherapy is used. Our findings suggest that efforts to improve HRQoL should be directed toward proper control of seizures regardless of medication class, as the frequency of attacks has the most detrimental effect on patients' quality of life.Categories: Neurology Keywords: epilepsy, patients with epilepsy (pwe), health-related quality of life (hrqol), quality of life in epilepsy-31 (qolie-31), saudi arabia

Health related quality of life in a Saudi population of patients with epilepsy

“…The participants’ mean QOLIE overall score was 65.17±19.1, which is slightly higher than the overall score reported in a similar study in Jeddah. 36 Significant associations were observed between the following: gender and energy/fatigue, medication effect, social function, and QOLIE overall score. The association between gender and energy/fatigue is in line with the study by Tayeb et al, 36 in which female PWE demonstrated relatively lower energy scores than male PWE.…”

“… 36 Significant associations were observed between the following: gender and energy/fatigue, medication effect, social function, and QOLIE overall score. The association between gender and energy/fatigue is in line with the study by Tayeb et al, 36 in which female PWE demonstrated relatively lower energy scores than male PWE. Meanwhile, the association between gender and medication effect can be substantiated by the study conducted by Reddy (2017).…”

“… 39 Considering the association between patient clinical data and QOLIE-31 domains, the only significant association was between seizure frequency and emotional well-being. As indicated by Tayeb et al, 36 PWE’s overall health-related quality of life can be affected adversely by seizure frequency. Therefore, the patient’s QOL will improve with fewer seizures.…”

Revisiting the concept of drug‐resistant epilepsy: A TASK1 report of the ILAE/AES Joint Translational Task Force

“…Treatment response may be partial, manifesting as a reduction of seizures or cessation of some but not all of the seizure types 36,37 . Although seizure freedom is the ultimate treatment goal in patient care, when this is not feasible, control of selected seizure types, prevention of prolonged seizure activity (status epilepticus), or the reduction in seizure frequency can have a relevant impact on quality of life and seizure‐associated risks 38–40 . The partial treatment response may also help select more effective combination treatments or develop optimized therapies.…”

“…36,37 Although seizure freedom is the ultimate treatment goal in patient care, when this is not feasible, control of selected seizure types, prevention of prolonged seizure activity (status epilepticus), or the reduction in seizure frequency can have a relevant impact on quality of life and seizure-associated risks. [38][39][40] The partial treatment response may also help select more effective combination treatments or develop optimized therapies. DRE may not result from one mechanism only, as multiple mechanisms can contribute to drug resistance.…”