Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a chronic, progressive Interstitial lung disease (ILD) that has a significant impact on the health-related quality of life (HRQoL). There are generic and disease-specific questionnaires to assess this, but no literature from India exists. HENCE WE DECIDED: to estimate HRQoL and to determine its predictors in a cohort of patients attending a tertiary care centre in Southern India. METHODS: Consecutive consenting patients diagnosed with IPF by the ILD MDD between September 2023 and August 2024 were self-administered the St. George's Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ) and the King's Brief Interstitial Lung Disease (KBILD) questionnaire to assess the HRQoL. RESULTS: In all, 70 patients with IPF were recruited into the study. The median total SGRQ was 35.9 (23.9-57.8), and the median total KBILD was 54.5 (46.4-65.6). Based on SGRQ (>30), 63% (44/70) and based on KBILD (≤50), 34% (24/70) had a poor quality of life. The SGRQ was significantly lower in those not on antifibrotics across all domains, with a trend towards near significance in the activity domain. The Gender, Age, Physiology (GAP) Index had a significant association with the KBILD - breathlessness and activity domain (P value = 0.01) and the total score (P value = 0.02). CONCLUSION: This is the first Indian study reporting HRQoL in IPF. IPF impacts HRQoL drastically, with a predominant impact on physical wellness and a lesser effect on psychological well-being. KBILD is associated with the GAP index. A larger study is required to identify independent factors associated with HRQoL.