Relative Contribution of Disease Activity and Psychological Health to Prognosis of Inflammatory Bowel Disease During 6.5 Years of Longitudinal Follow-Up

Background & Aims

Symptoms of common mental disorders, such as anxiety or depression, are common in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and may affect prognosis. However, unlike clinical or biochemical markers of disease activity, psychological health is not a recommended therapeutic target. We assessed relative contribution of poor psychological health and clinical or biochemical activity to prognosis.

Methods

Demographic features, IBD subtype, treatments, and anxiety and depression scores were recorded at baseline for 760 adults, with clinical activity determined using validated scoring systems. Fecal calprotectin was analyzed in 379 (49.9%) patients (≥250 μg/g used to define biochemical activity). Glucocorticosteroid prescription or flare, escalation, hospitalization, intestinal resection, or death were assessed during 6.5 years of follow-up. Occurrence was compared using multivariate Cox regression across 4 patient groups according to presence of disease remission or activity, with or without symptoms of a common mental disorder, at baseline.

Results

In total, 718 (94.5%) participants provided data. Compared with clinical remission without symptoms of a common mental disorder at baseline, need for glucocorticosteroid prescription or flare (hazard ratio [HR], 2.36; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.58–3.54), escalation (HR, 1.65; 95% CI, 1.14–-2.40), and death (HR, 4.99; 95% CI, 1.80–13.88) were significantly higher in those with clinical activity and symptoms of a common mental disorder. Rates in those with clinical remission and symptoms of a common mental disorder at baseline or those with clinical activity without symptoms of a common mental disorder were not significantly higher. Similarly, with biochemical activity and symptoms of a common mental disorder, rates of glucocorticosteroid prescription or flare (HR, 2.48; 95% CI, 1.38–4.46), escalation (HR, 2.97; 95% CI, 1.74–5.06), hospitalization (HR, 3.10; 95% CI, 1.43–6.68), and death (HR, 6.26; 95% CI, 2.23–17.56) were significantly higher.

Conclusions

Psychological factors are important determinants of poor prognostic outcomes in IBD and should be considered as a therapeutic target.