Impact of venous leg ulceration on health-related quality of life: A synthesis of data from randomized controlled trials compared to population norms

Venous insufficiency is the most common cause of leg ulceration, but the impact of venous leg ulceration on health-related quality of life has not been adequately assessed. This study compared data from randomized controlled trials to population norms obtained from a large national population survey. We combined the baseline Short Form-36 (SF-36) version 1 data from two New Zealand randomized controlled trials that recruited participants with VLU and compared the pooled data to the population scores obtained from the New Zealand Health Survey using general linear regression to adjust for age, sex, and ethnicity differences between the cohorts. Baseline SF-36 scores obtained from 618 trial participants were compared to the SF-36 scores obtained from the 12,529 participants in the New Zealand Health Survey. Participants with VLU had significantly lower crude SF-36 scores across all eight SF-36 domains, but there was interaction between age and group. Adjusted mean differences for participants aged 65 years or younger were - 25.8, -32.1, -21.2, -9.6, -7.6, -23.9, -21.5, and -9.3, respectively, for Physical Functioning, Role Physical, Bodily Pain, General Health, Vitality, Social Functioning, Role Emotional, and Mental Health whereas the adjusted mean differences for older participants were -15.7, -23.8, -13.8, -0.3 (nonsignificant), - 4.6, -15.3, -21.2, and -6.6. This study is the first to compare a VLU population to norms from a general population survey and the first to show VLU interacts with age creating stronger impact in younger patients compared their age cohort. Younger patients may have need of more pastoral care as a consequence.