Purpose: To evaluate the validity and responsiveness of a German-language version of the disease-specific Graves orbitopathy quality-of-life questionnaire (GO-QOL).
Design: Prospective cross-sectional study.
Methods: At a multidisciplinary university orbital center, 310 consecutive unselected Graves orbitopathy outpatients answered the GO-QOL before undergoing complete ophthalmic and endocrine assessment. The main outcome measures were the GO-QOL and its 2 subscales, Visual Functioning and Appearance.
Results: The QOL scores for the subscales Visual Functioning and Appearance were (mean ± SE) 72.5 ± 1.4 and 71.3 ± 1.5, respectively. Visual Functioning and Appearance were higher in mild (82.2 ± 2.2 and 86.0 ± 17.6) than in moderate to severe (66.6 ± 1.8, p < .001, 95% CI 15.6-2.9 and 65.5 ± 25.5, P < .001, 95% CI 15.1-26.0) and in sight-threatening Graves orbitopathy (41.9 ± 9.9, P < .001, 95% CI 25.4-55.3 and 58.5 ± 9.0, P < .001, 95% CI 15.0-39.4). Visual Functioning and Appearance were also lower in active (63.3 ± 2.2 and 64.5 ± 2.2) than in inactive stages (77.0 ± 1.9; P < .001, 95% CI 7.9-19.3 and 78.3 ± 1.8, P < .001, 95% CI 8.2-19.2). Visual Functioning was 81.6 ± 1.8 in patients without and 62.4 ± 2.0 in patients with diplopia (P < .001, 95% CI 13.8-24.6). Appearance was lower in those receiving psychotherapy (64.7 ± 3.2) than in those without psychotherapy (74.6 ± 1.6, P = .005, 95% CI 3.0-16.7). Significant ceiling effects (≥15% at the highest value of the subscale) were observed for Appearance in 59 patients (19%) and for Visual Functioning in 85 patients (27%).
Conclusion: The German-language version of the GO-QOL shows evidence of validity in Graves orbitopathy and it usefully complements ophthalmic assessment in these patients.
Download full-text PDF |
Source |
|---|---|
| http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ajo.2011.02.018 | DOI Listing |
Publication Analysis
Top Keywords
Similar Publications
Article Synopsis
- The study measured fibrinogen fluorescence at temperatures between 20 and 80 degrees Celsius across different pH levels.
- It was found that raising the temperature from 20 to 40 degrees Celsius did not change the structure of fibrinogen in solutions with pH between 4.5 and 9.3.
- However, temperatures between 40 to 50 degrees Celsius caused some structural changes in neutral solutions, and temperatures above 50-55 degrees Celsius led to significant denaturation of the fibrinogen molecule.
Want AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?
Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!