ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the burden of Crohn's disease in Spain. DESIGN: Observational, cross-sectional study of patients affected with Crohn's disease who were attended to in hospitals in Spain. METHODS: Three structured questionnaires were used: one completed by the gastroenterologists to obtain demographic, clinical and disease activity data; a phone interview to obtain epidemiological and drug utilisation data; and the Spanish version of the Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36). RESULTS: The annual cost per patient was estimated at Euro 6808-Euro 2104 from direct medical costs and Euro 4704 from indirect costs. Approximate effect sizes for health-related quality of life were as follows: 0.8 for general health, social function, role functioning--physical and vitality; 0.5 for role functioning--emotional, body pain and mental health; and 0.2 for physical function. CONCLUSION: Crohn's disease causes a significant decrease in health-related quality of life for patients and a considerable economic cost to society, mainly due to hospitalisations and loss of productivity. This burden indicates the importance of health programmes and interventions in reducing the heavy impact of the disease on both patients and society.
Subject(s)
Cost of Illness , Crohn Disease/economics , Crohn Disease/epidemiology , Adult , Cross-Sectional Studies , Female , Health Care Costs , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Multivariate Analysis , Patient Admission/economics , Quality of Life , Risk Factors , Sickness Impact Profile , Spain/epidemiology , Statistics as TopicABSTRACT
This study analyses the results of 8 randomized, controlled clinical trials and one open study carried out with droxicam (a new NSAID, pro-drug of piroxicam), comparing the adverse events and gastrointestinal tolerance of this compound against those of the control drugs used in these trials. The frequency of adverse events was lower in the droxicam treated patients. Adverse events concerning the gastrointestinal area were also lower. No differences were found in the distribution of adverse events by age of sex among the drugs compared. The pattern of side effects found was that expected in all non-steroidal anti-inflammatory agents. These results seem to sustain the hypothesis of a better tolerance of droxicam than that of piroxicam, indomethacin or diclofenac, especially in the gastrointestinal area.
