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The health-related quality of life and economic burden of constipation

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Abstract

Constipation is a prevalent condition that disproportionately affects women and older adults and leads to self-medication and/or medical consultation. It occurs as a result of functional idiopathic causes or secondarily as a result of a variety of factors including dietary and exercise patterns, adverse effects of medication and disease processes. Constipation is often perceived to be a benign, easily treated condition with short-term treatment being relatively straightforward; however, chronic constipation is associated with mild complications that, left untreated, can develop into more serious bowel complaints (faecal impaction, incontinence and bowel perforations) with further implications for healthcare costs and the patient’s health-related quality of life (HR-QOL). This review summarises the evidence of the HR-QOL impact and economic burden of constipation on patients.

Relatively few studies have systematically explored the HR-QOL and economic impact of constipation; however, the existing evidence suggests that HR-QOL is lower in patients with constipation than in non-constipated individuals, and treatments for constipation improve HR-QOL. Additionally, constipation represents an economic burden for the patient and healthcare provider. Resource utilisation associated with the diagnosis and management of constipation is a significant cost driver, whereas constipation prevention programmes have demonstrated cost savings.

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Notes

  1. Unless otherwise specified, ‘older’ adults are those who are aged ≥65 years.

  2. The use of trade names is for product identification purposes only and does not imply endorsement.

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Acknowledgements

This research was supported/funded by Pfizer Corporation.

Andrew Lloyd and Karin Coyne are paid consultants for MEDTAP and Cheryl Dennison is an Associate Professor at Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA. None of the authors has any conflicts of interest directly relevant to the content of this review.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA

    Cheryl Dennison

  2. MEDTAP International Inc, 7101 Wisconsin Ave., Suite 600, Bethesda, Maryland, 20814, USA

    Manishi Prasad &  Karin Coyne

  3. MEDTAP International Inc., London, UK

    Andrew Lloyd

  4. Amgen Inc., Thousand Oaks, California, USA

    Samir K. Bhattacharyya

  5. Johnson and Johnson Pharmaceutical Services, LLC, Raritan, Raritan, New Jersey, USA

    Ravinder Dhawan

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  1. Cheryl Dennison
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  2. Manishi Prasad
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  6. Karin Coyne
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Correspondence to Karin Coyne.

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Dennison, C., Prasad, M., Lloyd, A. et al. The health-related quality of life and economic burden of constipation. Pharmacoeconomics 23, 461–476 (2005). https://doi.org/10.2165/00019053-200523050-00006

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