Lower QoL Among Patients With Chronic Rhinosinusitis With Nasal Polyps

Recent research found that patients with chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps (CRSwNP) experience a significantly lower health-related quality of life (HRQoL). According to the new study findings, published online in Rhinology, the impact on HRQoL is greater among patients with increased disease severity and comorbidities.  

“Chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) significantly affects [HRQoL],” said study authors. “Few multinational observational studies have evaluated the impact of CRS with nasal polyps on patients' HRQoL.” 

In order to assess HRQoL outcomes among patients with CRSwNP, including analyses by disease severity and impact of comorbidities and refractory disease, the research team analyzed data from the Global Allergy and Asthma European Network (GALEN) Rhinosinusitis Cohort. The data included sociodemographic data, patient-reported disease severity (visual analogue scale), and scores on the 36-Item ShortForm Health Survey (SF-36) questionnaire. 

Based on the criteria, the research team identified 445 study participants with CRSwNP. The study authors noted that the participants had significantly lower mean SF-36 Physical Component Summary (PCS) and Mental Component Summary (MCS) scores vs population norms. They noted that this indicated that CRSwNP negatively affects HRQoL.  

Further findings, based on significant differences in PCS scores in patients with asthma or non-steroidal antiinflammatory drug-exacerbated respiratory disease, compared with patients without asthma, show that the presence of comorbidities affected HRQoL. Additionally, patients with increased disease severity had significantly lower PCS scores. Finally, patients with a history of surgery had “a clinically meaningful negative effect on HRQoL compared with no history of surgery.” 

“CRSwNP patients have significantly lower HRQoL compared with population norms,” the research team concluded. “The impact is greater in patients with greater disease severity, comorbidities, or refractory disease.” 

—Julie Gould  

Reference:

Khan A, Huynh TMT, Vandeplas G, et al. The GALEN rhinosnustis chort: chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps affects health-related quality of life [published online July 18, 2019]. Rhinology. doi: 10.4193/Rhin19.158