A prospective observational study assessing the burden of disease of HZ in Colombia

Abstract

Introduction: Herpes Zoster (HZ) is a debilitating disease that negatively impacts quality of life (QoL). This study sought to describe burden of disease due to HZ in Colombia.

Methods: Prospective, observational, single cohort study conducted across 10 Colombian sites. Immunocompetent patients ? 50 years old, presenting with incident/prevalent HZ were eligible. Follow-up was 180 days. Study outcomes included: post-herpetic neuralgia (PHN); pain, assessed with the Initial Zoster Impact Questionnaire (IZIQ) and the Zoster Brief Pain Inventory (ZBPI); QoL (EQ-5D); and healthcare resource utilization (HCRU; simple questionnaire). Pain burden was estimated from the area under the "worst pain severity over time" curve; predictors of pain burden were identified using multivariable mixed models.

Results: 154 HZ patients were included (93.5% prevalent). Mean (SD) age was 65.6 (9.6) years, and the majority were female (62.3%) and Hispanic (65.6%). During follow-up, doctors"(TM) office, specialist and ER visits were reported by 79.2%, 38.3%, 29.2% of patients, respectively, with 98.7% of patients prescribed HZ medication. PHN incidence was 36.5%. EQ-5D scores decreased with increasing ZBPI average and worst "pain in the last 24 hours" scores. Significant predictors of increased pain burden were advanced age and higher worst pain scores since rash onset.

Conclusion: This is the first report on HZ-related burden of disease in Colombia. Results indicate that pain, HCRU and impact on QoL due to HZ is high. As the Colombian population ages, strategies to more effectively manage and/or prevent HZ-associated burden should implemented.