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Find Out What 451 Ulcerative Colitis (UC) Patients, Just Like You, Have to Say About Their UC.
"Like many other chronic diseases, there's no cure for ulcerative colitis, but there are effective medications and treatments. Therefore, there's no reason UC should be having the negative impact on lives to the degree reported in this survey. I hope the survey will spark a national dialogue about UC. I know I'll use it as a conversation starter in my practice." — David Rubin, MD
Dr. Rubin helped to design the "UC NORMAL" survey and is a gastroenterologist and assistant professor of medicine at the University of Chicago Medical Center.
Chances are you don't talk about your UC in too much detail with anyone. You may not even be totally open with your doctor when it comes to sharing information about your UC symptoms, flare-ups and feelings about UC.
That's one of many significant findings of a new survey called "UC: NORMAL (New Observations on Remission Management and Lifestyle)." The survey, sponsored by Shire (maker of Lialda), was conducted in early 2007 to gather insights from UC patients, doctors, and others.
The "UC: NORMAL" survey included 1,675 adults:
- 451 UC patients (92 with "mild" UC, 285 with "moderate" UC, 75 with "severe" UC, and 17 who were unsure of their UC severity)
- 300 gastroenterologists
- 309 rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients
- 305 asthma patients
- 305 migraine patients
- 305 adults representing the general public who do not have UC
Objectives: The main objectives of the survey were to find out how UC affects patients' lives, patients' definition of "normal" for their condition, patients' threshold for letting the disease disrupt their life, and patients' methods of managing UC.
The survey sought to find out other information, too, including:
- how doctors compare to UC patients in their thinking about UC
- how the burden of UC compares with the burden of other chronic illnesses, as reported by patients
- what the general public does and doesn't know about UC
How Do You Compare?
Answer the five questions below and you will get a chance to see how your answers compare with the answers of the UC patients surveyed.
1. About how many flare-ups have you experienced over the past 12 months?
- Survey findings:
UC patients reported an average of 8 flare-ups per year that result in missed days of work and disruption to life activities. Patients with mild UC reported 5 flares; patients with moderate UC reported 8 flares; patients with severe UC reported 11 flares. These patients self-reported their level of severity.
Interestingly, gastroenterologists who participated in the survey thought 3 flare-ups per year was typical among UC patients.
The next question may shed some light on why doctors gave a lower number than the UC patients surveyed.
2. How many of these flare-ups did you discuss with your doctor?
- Survey findings:
- 34% of patients reported that they are sometimes "reluctant" to tell their doctor about flare-ups, including 8% who said they were always "reluctant"
- 27% reported that they discussed fewer than half of their flare-ups with their physician
Many UC patients reported that they do not discuss symptoms with their doctors.
3. Which statement BEST describes how effectively your disease has been controlled over the past 12 months?
My symptoms were completely or mostly under control
My symptoms were present but did not interfere with my life
My symptoms caused some disruption to my activities, but my quality of
life was okay
My symptoms negatively affected my life on a regular basis
- Survey findings:
Only 21% of UC patients reported that their UC was "completely or mostly under control."
In contrast, gastroenterologists reported that they think 48% of their patients' UC symptoms are "completely or mostly under control."
4. How much do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Living with UC is a daily struggle.
Strongly disagree
Somewhat disagree
Somewhat agree
Strongly agree
- Survey findings:
61% of UC patients reported that they "somewhat agreed" or "strongly agreed" that living with UC is a daily struggle.
Gastroenterologists, on the other hand, reported that they think living with UC is a daily struggle for only 28% of their patients.
5. How much do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Not feeling well from UC has become a normal part of my life.
Strongly agree
Somewhat agree
Neither agree nor disagree
Disagree
- Survey findings:
73% of UC patients reported that "not feeling well from UC has become a normal part of my life."
Gastroenterologists reported that they thought only 37% of their patients feel this way.
Learn more about the findings of the UC:NORMAL Survey
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You should not take Lialda if you are allergic to salicylates (including mesalamine or aspirin) or to any of the ingredients of Lialda. Tell your doctor if you have a stomach blockage or are allergic to sulfasalazine. Mesalamine has been associated with a syndrome that may be difficult to distinguish from an ulcerative colitis flare-up. If you experience cramping, abdominal pain, bloody diarrhea, fever, headache or rash, talk to your doctor immediately. Some patients taking mesalamine have reported heart-related hypersensitivity reactions, such as inflammation of the heart muscle and inflammation of the lining of the heart. Tell your doctor if you have problems with your liver or kidneys. In worldwide clinical trials, Lialda was generally well tolerated. The most common adverse events were headache and flatulence. As with other medications, some serious side effects may occur. Less than 1% of patients experienced inflammation of the pancreas, which led to discontinuation of therapy with Lialda. Please see Lialda Full Prescribing Information Privacy Policy | Unsubscribe | For Health Care Professionals
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