Presentation type | Oral presentation |
Title | Graves’ orbitopathy: burden of the disease. |
Purpose | To investigate quality of life in patients with active Graves' orbitopathy (GO) and Graves’ thyroid disease (GD), compared with healthy controls. |
Methods | In Ghent University Hospital, we included 34 active GO, 32 GD patients and 39 sex- and age- matched healthy controls. A survey with demographic questions, medical outcomes, the 21-question version of the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS21); Study 36-items Form Health Survey (SF-36) and the Illness Cognition Questionnaire (ICQ) was completed. |
Results | Both GO an GD group demonstrate a significant mental health burden compared to controls on measures of anxiety, stress, emotional well-being, and social functioning. The physical burden of the disease appears to be primarily driven by the presence of GO: they reported worse outcomes for vitality and limitations due to physical health. Comparison between GO and GD using the ICQ scale showed that the GO group reported significantly higher levels of helplessness, reflecting the more complex and visually prominent nature of the condition. Longer duration of GD, having a history of mental health disease and reporting less acceptance, more helplessness, less disease benefits, and a need for mental health support where predictors for both mental and physical health burden. Unique predictors for mental health burden were smoking (packyears), low thyroid values (FT4, TSH), female sex and younger age. On the other hand, older age and active GD to treat where unique predictors for physical health burden of the disease. |
Conclusion | GD gives a high psychological impact, GO delivers extra physical implications with more feelings of helplessness. |
Conflict of interest | Yes |
Details of conflicting interests | Consultancy for Amgen |
Initials | VGS |
Last name | Ninclaus |
Department | UZ Gent |
City | Gent |
Initials | E |
Last name | Ruysschaert |
Department | UZ Gent |
City | Gent |
Initials | E |
Last name | Lauwerier |
Department | OU Leiden |
City | Heerlen |
Initials | G |
Last name | Crombez |
Department | UGent |
City | Gent |
Initials | BP |
Last name | Leroy |
Department | UZ Gent |
City | Gent |
Initials | B |
Last name | Lapauw |
Department | UZ Gent |
City | Gent |