The Quality of Life in Patients with Ulcerative Colitis and Concomitant Subclinical Atherosclerosis

Abstract

The objective of this study was to evaluate the quality of life in patients with ulcerative colitis (UC) of moderate severity and concomitant subclinical atherosclerosis before and after combination treatment with statin and omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs). In patients with UC and concomitant atherosclerosis we have detected deterioration in quality of life mostly by the components of physical health (SF-36 questionnaire), which is directly proportional to the degree of atherosclerosis severity (p < 0.05). During combined treatment with statins and omega-3 PUFAs, there was a significant improvement in parameters of not only physical, but also mental health (p < 0.05). Analyzing data by specialized GSRS questionnaires, we have noted improvement in quality of life by three of the five scales — abdominal pain, dyspeptic and diarrheal syndromes (p < 0.05).

Keywords

• ulcerative colitis
• subclinical atherosclerosis
• quality of life
• statins
• omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids