Arnd Giese1,2, Ahmet Örnek2,3, Levent Kilic4, Mustafa Kurucay2, Süleyman N Şendur5, Elke Lainka6,7, Bernhard F Henning2. 1. Department of Internal Medicine I, St. Josef-Hospital Bochum, Ruhr-University Bochum, Bochum, Germany. 2. Department of Internal Medicine I, Marienhospital Herne, Ruhr-University Bochum, Herne, Germany. 3. Institute for Radiologic Diagnostics, Bergmannsheil, Ruhr-University Bochum, Bochum, Germany. 4. Unit of Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, Hacettepe University, Ankara, Turkey. 5. Department of Internal Medicine, Hacettepe University, Ankara, Turkey. 6. Department of Paediatrics, University Medical Centre Essen, Essen, Germany. 7. AID-NET Autoinflammatory Disorders (AID) in Children: Genetics, Disease Mechanisms, Diagnostic Markers and Therapeutic Targets, Essen, Germany.
Abstract
AIM: To determine the prevalence of anxiety and depression among patients with familial Mediterranean fever (FMF) living in Germany or Turkey a prospective study was conducted. METHODS: Forty FMF patients living in Turkey (T), 40 FMF patients living in Germany (G) and 40 healthy controls living in Germany (C) were included. Patients and controls were of Turkish ancestry. G were compared to T and C. The Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) was used with a cut-off of ≥ 8 for each subdomain score (HADS-A, HADS-D). RESULTS: Baseline characteristics of G were comparable to T and C except for age (T: 30.5 years, G: 35.2 years, C: 34.6 years; T vs. G P = 0.045), duration of disease (T: 14.4 years, G: 24; P < 0.001), C-reactive protein (T: 0.78 mg/dL, G: 0.78 mg/dL, C: 0.35 mg/dL; G vs. C P = 0.03). Prevalence of anxiety was higher in G compared to C (T: 65%, G: 52.5%, C: 22.5%: G vs. C P < 0.05). No difference was found for the prevalence of depression (T: 30%, G: 35%, C: 20%). The association between FMF and anxiety in subjects living in Germany persisted after adjusting for age and gender in a regression analysis and was robust to an adjustment for coexisting depression. Anxiety and depression did not correlate with FMF disease severity assessed with the Pras score. CONCLUSION: Anxiety, but not depression is more common among FMF patients living in Germany compared to healthy controls. No significant difference could be found between FMF patients living in Germany or Turkey concerning the prevalence of anxiety or depression.
AIM: To determine the prevalence of anxiety and depression among patients with familial Mediterranean fever (FMF) living in Germany or Turkey a prospective study was conducted. METHODS: Forty FMFpatients living in Turkey (T), 40 FMFpatients living in Germany (G) and 40 healthy controls living in Germany (C) were included. Patients and controls were of Turkish ancestry. G were compared to T and C. The Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) was used with a cut-off of ≥ 8 for each subdomain score (HADS-A, HADS-D). RESULTS: Baseline characteristics of G were comparable to T and C except for age (T: 30.5 years, G: 35.2 years, C: 34.6 years; T vs. G P = 0.045), duration of disease (T: 14.4 years, G: 24; P < 0.001), C-reactive protein (T: 0.78 mg/dL, G: 0.78 mg/dL, C: 0.35 mg/dL; G vs. C P = 0.03). Prevalence of anxiety was higher in G compared to C (T: 65%, G: 52.5%, C: 22.5%: G vs. C P < 0.05). No difference was found for the prevalence of depression (T: 30%, G: 35%, C: 20%). The association between FMF and anxiety in subjects living in Germany persisted after adjusting for age and gender in a regression analysis and was robust to an adjustment for coexisting depression. Anxiety and depression did not correlate with FMF disease severity assessed with the Pras score. CONCLUSION:Anxiety, but not depression is more common among FMFpatients living in Germany compared to healthy controls. No significant difference could be found between FMFpatients living in Germany or Turkey concerning the prevalence of anxiety or depression.