Adults with X-linked hypophosphatemia (XLH) may suffer from skeletal symptoms leading to functional disability. No data on their quality of life (QoL) have been reported so far. Our objectives were to evaluate the QoL and its determinants in XLH adults.
We conducted a prospective study in XLH adults, who consulted for musculoskeletal symptoms between 2013 and 2014. We assessed their QoL using HAQ, RAPID3 and SF36, and analysed the variables associated with low QoL. We compared their QoL to that of patients affected with axial spondyloarthritis (ax-SpA) (paired on age and gender), a rheumatologic disorder with a known low QoL.
Fifty-two XLH adults (37 women (71.1%); mean age 41.8±13.3 years) were included; 44 (84.6%) patients had an altered QoL. Increased age and presence of structural lesions were significantly associated with worse QoL (HAQ, RAPID3) (P<0.05). Presence of enthesopathies was significantly associated with worse RAPID3 (OR=4.45 (1.09-18.29), P=0.038). Treatment with phosphate supplements and vitamin D in XLH adults were significantly associated with a better SF36-mental component score (OR=0.14 (0.03-0.57), P=0.007 and OR=0.26 (0.07-0.98), P=0.047 respectively). QoL was significantly worse in XLH than in ax-SpA adults (VAS pain, SF36-PCS, RAPID3) (P<0.05).
Our study showed i) QoL of XLH adults is altered and significantly worse than that of ax-SpA patients (VAS pain, SF36-PCS and RAPID3), ii) structural lesions and especially enthesopathies are associated with a worse QoL and iii) treatment using phosphate supplements and/or vitamin D is associated with a better mental health score.