The most significant complain is fatigue which may be physical and/or mental. For some patients the fatigue is related to the level of anemia but for others it is not.
Factors impacting the patient's life:
(1) ability to work
(2) social participation
(3) emotional response (depression, anger, other)
(4) level of anxiety (fear of progression to leukemia, other)
A significant percentage of patients do not understand what myelodysplasia is or what it portends.
Myelodysplasia can mean:
(1) a need for frequent healthcare assessments (burden of healthcare)
(2) a need for transfusion of blood products
(3) complications such as bleeding and infection
(4) an economic impact
Comorbid conditions may also affect the quality of life (see 01.13.29 and 01.13.37).
