Quality of life associated with diabetes mellitus in an adult population

To ascertain the quality of life associated with the health state of diabet es mellitus using utility value analysis. Consecutive adult patients with d iabetes mellitus for at least 1 year and a mean age of 61.7 years (range 21 -85 years) were interviewed in a cross-sectional fashion using standardized research methodology. Utility analysis values were obtained employing the time tradeoff method and were correlated with clinical parameters of the sa mple group, as well as with co-morbidities using the heteroscedastic Studen t's t-test and multivariate linear regression. The chi(2) distribution to t est for independence was used to compare sample subgroups. With a sample of 292 patients, the mean, patient-preference-based, time tradeoff utility va lue associated with the health state of diabetes mellitus was 0.88 (standar d deviation (SD) = 0.17; 95% confidence interval (CT), 0.86-0.90). Repeat a nalysis confirmed the reproducibility of the data. Thus, the average diabet ic was willing to trade away 12% of his or her remaining life in return for a diabetic-free health state. Factors associated with a significant decrea se in diabetic-associated quality of life included: ii) the requirement for insulin (p = 0.05), (2) the presence of depression (p = 0.01), (3) the pre sence of diabetic retinopathy (p = 0.03) and the presence of co-morbidities in general (p = 0.01). The health state of diabetes mellitus has a signifi cant effect upon patient, preference-based quality of life. The presence of diabetic co-morbidities and dependence upon insulin appear to decrease qua lity of life. The utility value associated with the health state of diabete s mellitus is of substantial importance for use in the calculation of cost- effective analyses. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Inc. All rights reserved.