[Health related quality of life in patients with diabetes mellitus type 2]. / Calidad de vida relacionada con la salud en pacientes con diabetes mellitus tipo 2.

BACKGROUND: To evaluate the impact of diabetes mellitus type 2 on health related quality of life. METHODS: Cross-sectional study. Site: a basic health zone of the Foral Community of Navarre (12,200 inhabitants). Selection through simple random sampling (n=95) of the universe of patients diagnosed with diabetes mellitus type 2 of our basic health zone (n=655). Methods: Health Related Quality of Life evaluated with generic questionnaires SF-36 and EQ-5D; comparison of the general population samples carried out in Spain (SF-36), general population y>65 years of Navarre and Spanish diabetic population (EQ-5D). RESULTS: The diabetic patients have a tendency to show results lower than the general population in the following health concepts of the SF-36: "Physical Function" (76.6 +/- 27.2 SD), "Bodily Pain" (73.7 +/- 26.2 SD) , "General Health" (54.7 +/- 22.4 SD), "Social Function" (84.2 +/- 21.7 SD), "Role Emotional" (84.7 +/- 28.9 SD). Comparing the data with the general population >60 years, only two health concepts -"General Health" and "Role Emotional"- are equal to the reference values. With respect to the rates of respondents to some problem in the dimensions of the EQ-5D, the "Anxiety/Depression" dimension is outstanding with 43%. The value of the analogical visual scale in the diabetic patients is 64.6. CONCLUSIONS: This study increases the evidence that diabetes mellitus type 2 is related to a worse perception of quality of life related to health. The impact of certain diseases on the patients should not be measured only through the quantification of objective clinical parameters (such as morbidity or mortality).

[Impact of common reasons for consultation on the feeling of vitality and the physical performance of the over-65s]. / Impacto de los motivos comunes de consulta en el sentimiento de vitalidad y en el rendimiento físico de personas mayores de 65 años.

OBJECTIVES: To measure two functional dimensions (vitality and physical function) involved in the quality of life of the over-65s and to find what relationship they maintain with the commonest reasons for consultation. DESIGN: Cross-sectional, descriptive study. SETTING: Primary care. PARTICIPANTS: Randomised sample of 179 patients over 65 from 14 primary care clinics in Navarra. METHODS: SF-36 quality-of-life questionnaire and most common reasons for consultation. Personal and family details and ongoing drug prescription were also recorded. RESULTS: The most common reasons for consultation were insomnia (31.8%), arthrosis (48%), and urinary symptoms (16.2%). The greatest differences in the SF-36 scales occurred in patients with insomnia. In the multiple regression models, inverse associations were found for each of the reasons for consultation with the vitality and physical function dimensions. Vitality was associated with urinary symptoms, with an adjusted beta coefficient of -11.2 points (95% CI, -18.6 to -3.7). Insomnia was associated with significant decline in vitality and physical function, with beta of -7.7 points (95% CI, -13.9 to -1.5) and -10.3 points (95% CI, -19.1 to -1.6), respectively. Arthrosis symptoms behaved in a similar way. CONCLUSIONS: The most common pathologies or symptoms causing primary care consultations in the over-65s affect significantly the quality-of-life dimensions relating to the pursuit of normal daily life.