1 research outputs found
Association between glycaemic control and quality of life in diabetes mellitus
Background: Relationship between quality of life (QOL) and
haemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) amongst diabetics in the community setting is
unclear. Aims: Assess the association between QOL and change in HbA1c
in diabetic patients over one year. Settings and Design: Cohort study
of patients from four community clinics in California, USA. Methods:
Diabetic patients identified from databases using International
Classification of Disease (ICD-9) codes were asked to complete Short
Form 36 (SF-36), which measures health-related QOL, and invited to
attend monthly diabetes workshops. From December 2000 to December 2001,
data were collected on multiple parameters, including HbA1c. SF-36
surveys were re-collected at project termination. Statistical
Analysis: Regression analysis was used to correlate change in HbA1c
with change in QOL physical component summary (PCS) and mental
component summary (MCS) scores, while considering potential
confounders. Results: Of 1679 eligible patients, 380 completed SF-36
at project initiation. 243 of those completed SF-36 at project
termination. Pre and post HbA1c data were available for 170 of the 243
who completed SF-36 at both times. Average MCS increased by 8.46% and
PCS decreased by 2.24%. After adjustment, a 5% decrease in HbA1c values
was associated with a 1% increase in MCS. No association between
changes in HbA1c and PCS was observed. Conclusions: Association
between better HbA1c and improved mental, but not physical, QOL may
reflect physical inconvenience of increased regimen complexity and
mental empowerment from proactive disease management. Larger cohort
studies with longer follow-up are needed to further elucidate the
relationship between glycemic control and QOL