Quality of Life of Couples Living with Sarcoidosis.

BACKGROUND: Consequences of sarcoidosis are wide ranging, and the symptom burden has a great impact on patients' quality of life (QoL). However, the QoL of couples living with sarcoidosis has not yet been studied. OBJECTIVES: Our aim was to assess the QoL of couples living with sarcoidosis and to evaluate whether living with a partner with sarcoidosis influences the partner's QoL. Furthermore, we aimed to assess whether nonspecific symptoms (fatigue, cognitive failure, small fiber neuropathy (SFN)-related symptoms, depressive symptoms, and state/trait anxiety) predict QoL of partners as well as sarcoidosis patients. METHOD: Sarcoidosis outpatients, recruited at Maastricht University Medical Centre (n = 443), and their partners (n = 208) completed several questionnaires, including the World Health Organization QoL - BREF, Fatigue Assessment Scale, SFN screening list, and cognitive failure questionnaire. RESULTS: QoL of the partners as well as the sarcoidosis patients was reduced compared with healthy controls, especially regarding the physical health domain. All nonspecific symptoms studied, as well as perceived social support, predicted one or more QoL domains in the sarcoidosis patients, but these factors did not predict the QoL of their partners. CONCLUSIONS: The QoL of partners of sarcoidosis patients was reduced, although to a lesser extent than that of the patients. Although the nonspecific symptoms and perceived social support were related to the patients' QoL, this was not the case for the partners. In the management of sarcoidosis, it is important to focus not only on the patients but also on their partners.

Everyday cognitive failure in patients suffering from neurosarcoidosis.

BACKGROUND: Cognitive failure is associated with memory and concentration problems. Previously, a prevalence of one third was found in a general sarcoidosis population. The aim of this study was to assess if neurosarcoidosis patients are at higher risk for developing everyday cognitive failure using the Cognitive Failure Questionnaire (CFQ) and to determine what factors were associated with cognitive failure. METHODS: A cross-sectional web-based survey was conducted from April to May 2017 in a national sample of neurosarcoidosis patients. The survey asked about complaints and included 3 questionnaires (Fatigue Assessment Scale [FAS], Small Fiber Neuropathy Screening List [SFNSL] and CFQ. Data were compared to a general sarcoidosis population. RESULTS: Of the 152 patients who completed the survey, 131 had neurosarcoidosis. The mean CFQ score was significantly higher in the neurosarcoidosis (45.6±20.7) compared to the general sarcoidosis population (36.2±15.9; p< 0.0001). High CFQ scores (≥43) were found in 55.7% and 33.9%, respectively (p<0.0001). The FAS score (OR 21.4) and SFNSL score (OR 4.3) were the strongest positive predictors of a high CFQ score. CONCLUSION: Cognitive failure is a significant problem in neurosarcoidosis. More than half of the patients reported cognitive deficits, compared to one third of a general sarcoidosis population. Fatigue and small fiber neuropathy play a role in cognitive failure.