Quality of life in sarcoidosis: assessment and management

This review focuses on current knowledge of the QOL (quality of life) and HS (health status) of sarcoidosis patients. The QOL and HS of sarcoidosis patients are impaired and symptoms are a cause of this impairment. Fatigue appears to be the major problem in sarcoidosis patients. QOL is a concept that concerns patients' evaluation of their functioning in a wide range of domains, but always the physical, psychological, and social domain. HS concerns patients' physical, psychological, and social functioning. There are a number of HS questionnaires and one QOL measure that have shown useful in sarcoidosis. In addition, there exists one sarcoidosis-specific HS measure. The main symptom of fatigue can be assessed reliably and valid with the Fatigue Assessment Scale. The absence of objective parameters for experiencing impairment does not always mean that patients are healthy. Because what patients can handle is clearly decreased, the activities should be adapted accordingly. Present studies are generally cross-sectional. There is a need for prospective follow-up studies assessing the natural course of patients' disease in relation to symptoms and QOL.