Quality of life assessment in patients with chronic pancreatitis receiving antioxidant therapy.

To undertake a baseline study comparing quality of life (QoL) in patients with chronic pancreatitis (CP) on Antox to those with CP, matched for disease duration, who were not on this medication. CP was defined according to the Zurich classification. Sixty eight consecutive patients with CP who were taking Antox (antioxidants) were compared with 69 consecutive control CP patients not on Antox. European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire Core questions 30 and Pancreatic Modification (28 questions) were used to assess QoL. Out of a total of 137 patients 28 in each group were matched for disease duration (within 12 mo). Median disease duration was 8 (1-22) years in the Antox group and 7 (1-23) years in the Non-Antox cohort (P = NS, Mann-Whitney U-test). Other parameters (age, gender, etiology, endocrine and exocrine insufficiency) were similar between groups. Median visual analogue pain score in the Antox group was 3 (0-8) compared with 6 (0-8) in the Non-Antox group (P < 0.01). Perceptions of cognitive, emotional, social, physical and role function were impaired in the Non-Antox group compared to Antox patients (P < 0.0001, P = 0.0007, P = 0.0032 and P < 0.005 and P < 0.001, respectively). Analgesics and opiate usage was significantly lower in the Antox group (P < 0.01). Overall physical health and global QoL was better in the Antox group (P < 0.0001, 95% CI: 1.5-3). Contemporary quality of life assessments show that after correction for disease duration and cigarette smoking, patients with CP taking antox had better scores than non-antox controls.