The Impact of Disease Duration on Quality of Life in Multiple Sclerosis Patients in Republika Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina

There is increasing recognition that the general well-being of patients with chronic neurological disease is the most important outcome in both clinical research and daily clinical practice. The objective of our research was to study the correlation between the quality of life (QoL) scores determined by the Multiple Sclerosis Quality of Life-54 instrument (MSQoL-54) and disease duration as a signifi cant clinical parameter. In this cross-sectional study, the level of neurological impairment was measured using the Expanded Disability Status Scale, and the presence of depression and anxiety was measured using the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale and Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale. Th e inclusion criteria were: the diagnosis of multiple sclerosis established according to the McDonald criteria, age between 18 and 69 years, EDSS score <8, and consent to participate. Th e exclusion criteria were: disease exacerbation within the previous month, a previously verified psychiatric disorder, and the use of corticosteroid therapy within the previous month. Statistical analysis included descriptive statistics, and correlation and regression analyses. Th e results showed that longer disease duration correlated significantly with poorer QoL due to physical disability. In effect, this parameter contributed to the lower QoL scores on the MSQoL-54 domains of role limitations due to physical problems (r=-0.312, p=0.027), pain (r=-0.333, p=0.018), energy (r=-0.357, p=0.011), social function (r=-0.438, p=0.001), and sexual function (r=-0.474, p=0.001). Manyother similar studies have also found that the QoL of persons suffering from multiple sclerosis is significantly affected by the disease duration.