Quality of Life and Related Factors in Patients with Ankylosing Spondylitis in Kazakhstan Population

Assel Meiramova, Aigerim Abuova, Karlygash Кarina, Baglan B. Abdakhina, Bayan Bektassova, Ержан Е. Хощанов, Bayan A. Ainabekova

2025

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DOI 10.52889/1684-9280-2025-2-76-4-11
Data confidence 70 medium
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Abstract

Ankylosing spondylitis is a chronic autoimmune disease that primarily affects men in the 20s and 40s, and can lead to significant mobility impairments and disability. Ankylosing spondylitis has a significant physical, social, psychological and economic impact on patients, making the quality of life one of the primary factors in disease managing.The study aim is to investigate the relationship between various medical history factors and the quality of life among patients with AS in Kazakhstan.Methods. We conducted a one-time cross-sectional observational study of 70 patients diagnosed with аnkylosing spondylitis at the Astana City Multidisciplinary Hospital No. 2.Results. The study revealed several key factors that affect the quality of life for patients. There was a correlation found between the age of disease onset and the diagnosis delay (p=0.344, p=0.009). Patients who were diagnosed later had a lower quality of life, especially women. There was also a correlation between the diagnosis delay and a specific quality of life measure in the SF-36 questionnaire (p=-0.641 p=0.013). This correlation was particularly strong for patients receiving biological therapy. Specifically, delayed diagnosis was associated with lower scores on pain (p=-0.543, p=0.013), fatigue (p=-0.528, p=0.010), and physical functioning (p=-0.508, p=0.007). Additionally, the analysis showed that the age at which a patient was diagnosed significantly affected their quality of life in men and those with a positive HLA B27 (p=-0.263, p=0.048).Conclusions: The main factors that influence the quality of life for patients with ankylosing spondylitis in the Kazakh population include delay in diagnosis and age of onset. These factors are correlated with clinical activity of the disease, and early onset and delayed diagnosis significantly impair quality of life. Therefore, timely diagnosis and prompt initiation of treatment are crucial for enhancing the quality of life among patients with ankylosing spondylitis.Keywords: ankylosing spondylitis, quality of life, diagnosis delay, Kazakhstan population.