Is quality of life affected by season and weather conditions in ankylosing spondylitis ?

To examine the links between the quality of life (QOL) and season and weather conditions in ankylosing spondylitis (AS) patients. A cohort of 146 AS patients (67% males), with a mean age of 47.3 years and a mean disease duration of 12.8 years, answered a self-administered questionnaire, the AS-AIMS2 validated for AS, 4 times over a period of one year in a postal survey. Clinical measures were assessed in a subsample of the cohort. Meterological data including daily temperature, hygrometry, wind speed and atmospheric pressure were collected over the same period. In this cohort, 106 patients completed the follow-up. A higher lumbar spine flexibility (Schober index) was associated with a higher climatic temperature and lower wind speed. Physical QOL improved in the summer, as did Social Interaction in the summer and fall, while Role QOL decreased in winter. A lower perceived QOL was significantly associated with a higher temperature and wind speed over the past 4 weeks, and with a higher hygrometry and atmospheric pressure over the past 2 days prior to completion of the questionnaire. This study provides some support to the popular belief and frequent patient complaints of a link between health status and perceived quality of life, as assessed by a specific questionnaire, with season and weather conditions.