Daijiworld Media Network – Mumbai
Mumbai, Jun 12: Patients living with autoimmune liver disease generally maintain a stable quality of life over time, with only modest improvements in emotional well-being, according to a new longitudinal study examining long-term health-related quality of life (HRQOL) outcomes.
Autoimmune liver disease includes conditions such as autoimmune hepatitis, primary biliary cholangitis and primary sclerosing cholangitis, all of which are characterised by chronic immune-mediated liver inflammation and damage.
Researchers collected baseline demographic and clinical data through medical record reviews and assessed participants using the Chronic Liver Disease Questionnaire. Patients attended an average of four follow-up visits during the study period.
The findings showed a slight increase in overall quality-of-life scores, rising by approximately 0.02 points per year. Improvements were mainly observed in emotional well-being and worry-related measures, while other aspects of quality of life remained largely unchanged. Although statistically significant, researchers noted that the magnitude of improvement was small and may have limited clinical significance.
The study also identified several baseline factors that influenced long-term quality-of-life outcomes. Women were found to experience poorer HRQOL compared to men, while the presence of coexisting autoimmune diseases and Metabolic Associated Steatotic Liver Disease (MASLD) was associated with less favourable outcomes.
Patients with ascites, a complication indicating advanced liver disease, also reported poorer long-term quality of life. Interestingly, the presence of cirrhosis alone was not significantly associated with HRQOL, suggesting that symptoms and disease complications may have a greater impact on patient well-being than the degree of liver scarring itself.
Other health conditions, including diabetes and coronary artery disease, were not found to significantly affect quality-of-life trends in the study population.
Researchers said the findings highlight the persistent burden of chronic autoimmune liver diseases despite modest psychological adaptation over time. They stressed the need for personalised care and closer monitoring of higher-risk groups, particularly women and patients with additional autoimmune conditions, MASLD or ascites.
The study concluded that while overall quality of life remains relatively stable among patients with autoimmune liver disease, baseline clinical factors play a crucial role in shaping long-term patient-reported outcomes, underscoring the importance of comprehensive and individualised disease management.