Quality of life as an indicator of the effects of concomitant hypertensive disease on the state of health of patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease

Abstract

Objective — to determine the effects of concomitant hypertension on the quality of life (QOL) of patients with non‑alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) using the Medical Outcomes Study Short Form (SF‑36) and The Chronic Liver Disease Questionnaire (CLDQ).
 Materials and methods. Examinations involved 115 patients with NAFLD at the stage of non‑alcoholic steatohepatitis. The patients were divided into two groups: the main group included 63 patients with NAFLD and hypertension (32 men and 31 women, the mean age 48.4 years) and comparison group consisted of 52 patients with NAFLD (25 men and 27 women, the mean age 48.3 years). The control group consisted of 20 practically healthy people (12 women and 8 men, the mean age 47.1 years). The NAFLD duration did not significantly differ between the groups of comorbid course (6.6 years (95 % confidence interval (CI) — 5.8; 7.3)) and isolated NAFLD (7.8 years (95 % CI 6.7; 8.8)) (p = 0.086). Hypertension duration was 8.4 years (95 % CI 7.3; 9.5). Assessments included body mass index calculation (BMI) and measurements of systolic (SBP) and diastolic (DBP) arterial pressure. The Medical Outcomes Study Short Form (SF‑36) and Chronic Liver Disease Questionnaire (CLDQ) were used to assess the QOL of NAFLD patients.
 Results. In comparison with the control group and regardless of the presence of concomitant pathology, the significant decrease in QOL scores of almost all SF‑36 scales was established in NAFLD patients. In NAFLD patients with hypertension, decrease in the QOL indicators was observed for all components of health, except for the results on the scale of physical functioning («PF»). Indicators of the total physical («PCS») and mental («MCS») health components were also significantly lower in the group with NAFLD and hypertension and amounted to 25.00 % (95 % CI 21.20; 29.60) and 44.00 % (95 % CI 42.23; 50.47) out of the maximum possible 100 %. There was a significant decrease in indicators for all domains of the CLDQ questionnaire in patients with NAFLD and hypertension compared to the isolated NAFLD and the control group. Significant inverse correlations were determined between the QOL indicators according to both questionnaires and the diseases duration, SBP, DBP levels and BMI.
 Conclusions. NAFLD is associated with significant deviant changes in patients’ quality of life indicators according to the SF‑36 and CLDQ questionnaires. The presence of concomitant hypertension, the duration of fatty changes in the liver, the experience of hypertension, the levels of SBP, DBP and BMI significantly worsen the QOL of patients with NAFLD. The quantitative variability of QOL components in patients with NAFLD and hypertension can negatively affect the course of the disease and reduce the effectiveness of therapeutic and rehabilitation measures.