Normalización a largo plazo de la calidad de vida de los pacientes con enfermedad de Crohn con terapia de mantenimiento con adalimumab

Background

Maintenance treatment of Crohn's disease (CD) with adalimumab achieves sustained clinical remission and improves health-related quality of life (HRQOL) of patients. There is, however, no information about its long-term effect on normalization of patient's perceived health.

Objectives

To determine the long-term normal perception of health in CD patients in clinical remission with adalimumab.

Methods

Retrospective, observational study in CD patients in clinical remission for 36 months follow-up, treated with adalimumab 40 mg eow. Patients requiring a change of treatment or surgery were not included. HRQOL was assessed with the specific questionnaire IBDQ-36. The normalization of health was defined as an overall score ≥ 209.

Results

Twenty eight patients were included in sustained clinical remission for 36 months. Three patients required further escalation and de-escalation of the dose. The IBDQ-36 overall score remained unchanged in patients with inactive stable CD and even tended to increase with time (median overall score of 230 at 6 months and 238 at 3 years). The rate of normalization of health increased with time (68% to 78% at 6 and 36 months respectively).

Conclusions

Sustained clinical remission with effective maintenance treatment with adalimumab restores the perception of normal health of most of the patients with CD.