Health-related quality of life, somatosensory amplification, and perceived stress in autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease: An observational study

Autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) is a genetic disorder characterized by the development of fluid-filled cysts in the kidneys, which can lead to the gradual loss of kidney function over time. This study aimed to explore the health-related quality of life (HRQOL), levels of somatosensory amplification, and perceived stress in patients with ADPKD. A total of 48 patients with ADPKD and 50 healthy volunteers aged 18 and older participated in this study. All patients participating in the study were assessed using the 12-item Short Form Healthy Survey version 2, the Somatosensory Amplification Scale (SSAS), and the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS). The scores of the SSAS and the PSS for the patient group were higher but the HRQOL score was lower than those for the healthy group. Upon a simple linear regression analysis, the effect of duration of disease in the polycystic kidney disease (PKD) group on HRQOL was 13.4% and the effect of level of perceived stress on the somatosensory amplification was 18.4%. The patients in the PKD group exhibited higher levels of somatosensory amplification and level of perceived stress but lower levels of HRQOL than the healthy group. The patients with ADPKD experience significantly higher levels of somatosensory amplification and perceived stress, along with lower HRQOL, compared to healthy individuals. The findings highlight the negative psychosocial burden associated with ADPKD, with disease duration affecting HRQOL and perceived stress influencing somatosensory amplification.