Risk factors associated with a lower quality of life

The Health Assessment Questionnaire (HAQ), which is one of the most commonly used measures of disability in musculoskeletal disorders, was extended to form the scleroderma HAQ (SHAQ), including 5 visual analogue scales (VAS) to cover disease-specific disability aspects.

A cross-sectional analysis of 719 SSc patients (median age 59 years, 85% female) was carried out which revealed that dyspnoea, pain, weakness and gastrointestinal symptoms are perceived as the main factors driving the level of patient disability. Interestingly, the predictors of the HAQ and the SHAQ have been almost identical. Moreover, patients and physicians emphasized different aspects in the evaluation of their disease manifestations. These findings will be essential for further management and counseling of SSc patients especially regarding the patients’ life quality also in further studies.