Association of HRQOL With Symptom Patterns in an Online Cohort of Patients With Interstitial Cystitis/Bladder Pain Syndrome.

OBJECTIVE

To explore the differences in symptom patterns and management between individuals with interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome (IC/BPS) who have high vs low self-reported health related quality of life (HRQOL).

METHODS

An anonymous 40-question online survey assessed IC/BPS patients' symptoms, triggers, management strategies, and comorbidities. Recruitment was through the Interstitial Cystitis Association's Facebook page. HRQOL was rated on a 0-10 Likert scale, grouping respondents into low-impact (0-3), intermediate (4-6), and high-impact (7-10). Univariate analysis included chi-square, Fisher's exact test, and t tests.

RESULTS

Among 451 respondents, 53 (12%) reported low disease impact, while 279 (62%) had high impact. The high-impact group was more frequently triggered by mental health issues (50% vs 32%, P = .016) and exercise (14% vs 4%, P = .040), while the low-impact group was more often triggered by allergies (6% vs 1%, P = .054) and coffee (11% vs 3%, .005). High-impact individuals had higher rates of comorbidities, including pelvic floor dysfunction (39% vs 19%, .005), irritable bowel syndrome (36% vs 21%, P = .029), overactive bladder (30% vs 17%, P = .051), and/or vulvodynia (23% vs 9%, P = .026).

CONCLUSION

IC/BPS encompasses a spectrum of disease manifestations. While demographics remain relatively uniform in this IC/BPS population, symptom patterns, comorbidities, and therapeutic choices are correlated with impact on quality of life.