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Abstract
Objectives: The purpose of this study was to better understand the characteristics and patterns
of treatment of flares of ulcerative colitis (UC) from the patient's perspective.
A secondary objective was to determine the predictive value of disease characteristics,
particularly disease flares, on current use of biologic therapy.
Methods: Study participants were recruited from an Internet panel of self-identified individuals
with inflammatory bowel disease (UC or Crohn’s disease). The present analysis was
limited to individuals who reported having a diagnosis of UC, were aged ≥18 years,
resided in the United States, and could speak and write English. Cross-sectional data
(demographic characteristics, insurance coverage, incidence of flares, patient experiences,
treatment patterns) were collected via a self-reported Internet-based questionnaire
during the third quarter of 2008.
Results: A total of 505 individuals with UC completed the survey (72.7% female; 16.6% non-white;
37.2% college graduates; mean [SD] age, 48.6 [2.8] years). The mean time since the
diagnosis of UC was 11.9 (10.1) years, and 76.6% of respondents characterized their
disease as controlled. Overall, 27.9% of the sample reported ≥1 flare per week, and
an additional 25.1% reported ≥1 flare per month. Most disease flares (76.5%) lasted
≤7 days and were classified as moderate in severity (51.9%). Among those reporting
≥1 flare per week, 30.5% classified their overall disease severity as mild, 56.0%
as moderate, and 13.5% as severe. The majority of respondents with ≥1 flare per week
currently used 5-aminosalicylic acids (5-ASAs) (41.1%) or corticosteroids (49.6%),
whereas 19.1% used immunomodulators and 17.0% used biologics. Disease flares were
most commonly treated by increasing the dose of the current medication (60.4%) or
adding a corticosteroid to the treatment regimen (34.5%).
Conclusions: More than half of these individuals with UC reported experiencing disease flares
≥1 time per week or month. The majority reported using 5-ASAs or corticosteroids as
maintenance medications and increasing the dose or adding corticosteroids to control
flares in the short term.
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Article info
Publication history
Accepted:
January 7,
2010
Identification
Copyright
© 2010 Published by Elsevier Inc.
