Sjögren’s disease significantly impacts sexual satisfaction, with higher depression scores and patient-reported symptoms being key determinants, while systemic disease activity shows no significant correlation, according to a recent study.
In the study, published in RMD Open, investigators aimed to evaluate the impact of Sjögren's disease (SjD) on sexual quality of life using the Qualisex questionnaire within the Assessment of Systemic Symptoms in Sjögren's Syndrome cohort, a French national multicentric prospective cohort.
The study included 395 patients with SjD, 23% (n = 92) of whom completed the Qualisex questionnaire. The median age of the participants was 56 years (interquartile range [IQR] = 44–59), with a female predominance of 92% (n = 85/92). The median Qualisex score was 3.4 (IQR = 1.1–5.9), indicating a negative impact on sexual quality of life.
Methods involved administering the Qualisex questionnaire and collecting data on patients' characteristics and psychometric evaluations, including the European Alliance of Associations for Rheumatology (EULAR) SjD Patient Reported Index (ESSPRI), Short Form 36 Health Survey Questionnaire (SF-36), and Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). Statistical analyses were performed using R software, with t-tests, Mann-Whitney U tests, χ2 tests, and Fisher’s exact tests employed to identify significant associations.
The investigators demonstrated that worse sexual satisfaction was associated with older age (median = 58 vs 52 years, P = .005), higher ESSPRI (median = 6.8 vs 4.3, P < .0001), lower SF-36 mental (median = 43 vs 49, P = .0035) and physical scores (median = 31 vs 35, P = .035), and higher HADS depression (median = 9 vs 2, P < .0001) and anxiety scores (median = 11 vs 7, P = .006). There were no statistically significant differences in the EULAR SjD Disease Activity Index score between the groups (median = 4 vs 2.5, P = .35), noted lead study author Alexandra Kachaner, of the Hospital Bicetre in Le Kremlin-Bicetre, France, and her colleagues.
Multivariable analysis revealed that the Qualisex score was strongly associated with higher HADS depression scores (odds ratio [OR] = 0.31, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.14–0.47, P < .001) and, to a lesser extent, with higher ESSPRI scores (OR = 0.28, 95% CI = –0.01 to 58, P = .057). The findings suggested that depression may significantly impact sexual quality of life in patients with SjD, whereas systemic disease activity may not.
The study highlighted the importance of addressing psychological well-being in the management of SjD to improve patients' overall quality of life. The investigators recommended incorporating an assessment of sexual health in the comprehensive evaluation of patients with SjD, particularly those with high ESSPRI and symptoms of depression and anxiety.
Full disclosures can be found in the published study.
