Pharmacotherapy and generic health‐related quality of life in Parkinson's disease

Objectives Improvement of health‐related quality of life ( HRQoL ) is one of the primary objectives of symptomatic therapies in Parkinson's disease ( PD ). The aim of this observational study was to investigate possible changes in generic HRQoL in relation to changed PD pharmacotherapy in the clinical setting. Materials & methods A total of 219 outpatients with mild to moderate PD (median H&Y score = 2.0), treated with oral antiparkinsonian medications, were investigated twice with a 6‐month interval. At baseline, PD medication dose was increased for 82 patients for clinical reasons (median increase of 100 mg levodopa equivalent daily dose or 31.9%), whereas medication remained unchanged for 137 patients. Two generic HRQoL questionnaires, EQ ‐5D and 15D, were used at baseline and at 6 months, and the baseline and delta HRQoL values were compared between the treatment groups. Results In the entire sample, the EQ ‐ VAS score decreased during the study period, indicating a general decline in HRQoL ( P  = 0.04). There were no differences in the baseline HRQoL values or delta values between the treatment groups as measured with EQ ‐5D or 15D (levodopa dose elevated vs dopamine agonist/ MAO ‐B inhibitor dose elevated vs no change in medication). Conclusions An approximately 1/3 increase in antiparkinsonian medication dose did not have an impact on generic HRQoL . Disease‐specific QoL may be more sensitive to pharmacotherapy‐related changes in PD .