PATIENT-REPORTED ANXIETY IMPACTS UTILIZATION OF INJECTABLE ON-DEMAND TREATMENT OF HEREDITARY ANGIOEDEMA ATTACKS

Introduction

Hereditary angioedema (HAE) is characterized by unpredictable, painful, and debilitating attacks of tissue swelling that can be life-threatening and results in disease-related anxiety.

Methods

People with Type I or II HAE were recruited by the US Hereditary Angioedema Association to complete a 20-minute, self-reported, online survey investigating patient anxiety (on a numeric rating scale between 0-“not anxious” and 10-“extremely anxious”) and factors influencing on-demand treatment of HAE attacks, September 6 to October 19, 2022.

Results

Survey respondents included 107 patients with Type I/II HAE (80% female; mean age = 41 years). On average, patients reported waiting 2.4 hours to treat their HAE attack after recognizing the initial onset of the attack. Patients reported a mean (SD) anxiety level of 4.2 (3.4) when anticipating the use of their injectable on-demand treatment. Approximately two thirds (65%) of respondents who were moderately (mean 5.1 [0.5]) to extremely anxious (mean 8.4 [1.4]) about on-demand treatment did not treat all their attacks. Those who reported feeling extremely anxious (rating ≥7) when anticipating the use of on-demand treatment also reported delaying treatment 4.3 hours (mean). Nearly all respondents (95%) reported experiencing a decreased level of anxiety once they realized they were recovering from the attack.

Conclusion

Those who were anxious delayed or did not treat attacks. On-demand treatments with less invasive routes of administration may reduce anxiety with on-demand treatment.