Javier Olascoaga-Urtaza, Virginia Meca-Lallana, Rocío Hernández-Clares, Lluís Ramió-Torrentà, Domingo Pérez, Ana María Alonso, Gerardo Joaquín Soriano, Jose Abos-Navarro, Francisco Padilla, Noemi Llopis and Rainel Sánchez-de la Rosa
Introduction: Quality of life (QoL) has gained increasing importance in multiple sclerosis (MS). We aimed to
assess QoL and potentially associated factors such as depression, sexual dysfunction and work absenteeism in
patients starting glatiramer acetate (GA) in clinical practice.
Methods: A prospective cohort study carried out in relapsing-remitting MS patients starting GA as first-line
treatment. Patient information on QoL (Multiple Sclerosis Quality of Life-54 [MSQoL-54]), depression (Beck
Depression Inventory), sexual dysfunction (Multiple Sclerosis Intimacy and Sexuality Questionnaire-19) and work
absenteeism was assessed from starting GA to week 96.
Results: Ninety-eight evaluable patients were enrolled in the study (mean age, 38.0 ± 8.4 years; female, 69.4%;
mean MS duration, 42.6 ± 62.9 months; annual relapse rate since MS diagnosis, 0.4), and followed up at weeks 24
(n=96), 48 (n=94), 72 (n=89) and 96 (n=80). Patient QoL was preserved during the study, with improvements on the
MSQoL-54 subscales of change in health (p<0.05) and health distress (p<0.05). Depression, primary and secondary
sexual dysfunction remained stable, but the number of patients with tertiary sexual dysfunction decreased at week
96 (p<0.05). Work absenteeism also decreased over the study (p<0.01). Depression, sexual dysfunction and work
absenteeism affected MSQoL-54 physical and mental health composites (p<0.05).
Conclusion: QoL of our patients was preserved during the 96-week administration of GA. Though depression,
sexual dysfunction and work absenteeism impair patient QoL, they remained stable or even improved during the
study.