Evaluation of Quality of Life in Gastrointestinal Disorders / 薬剤疫学

In a common saying, “good sleep, good eating, and good defecation” is a synonym to wellness of human health. Not only the absence of gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms but also a good appetite and comfortable defecation are necessary for the wellness of health. Such wellness or well-being is now called health-related quality of life (HR-QOL). Generic QOL scales consistently indicate disturbed QOL in patients with GI symptoms, which correlates well with the specific QOL for many GI disorders, showing that the presence of GI symptoms contributes disturbance in HR-QOL, proving that a good appetite is critical for HR-QOL.