Study of the Quality of Life of Patients With Fabry Disease Aged 65 and Over With and Without Specific Treatment

Fabry disease is a rare genetic disorder affecting 1 in 10,000 individuals, leading to complications such as chronic pain, heart and kidney failure, and strokes, ultimately impacting life expectancy. People with this disease are increasingly being diagnosed later in life, around the age of 65, as the condition progresses slowly with irreversible organ damage. The effectiveness of treatments for Fabry disease remains controversial, but early initiation is recommended for long-term benefits. Despite the high cost and inconvenience of treatments, there is limited research on their efficacy in older people or on the quality of life for those aged 65 and over with Fabry disease. This study aims to assess the quality of life in this age group both with and without treatment over a period of 5 years to determine the benefits of treatment beyond the age of 65.

Fabry disease is an X-linked genetic lysosomal disorder with an estimated prevalence of 1 in 10,000. It affects quality of life and life expectancy, through, among other things, chronic pain and the development of heart and kidney failure and stroke. An increasing number of people are being diagnosed at around the age of 65 or even later. Fabry disease develops slowly and progressively, causing irreversible organ damage. While the efficacy of Fabry disease treatments is debated, it is expected that they will be effective in the long term, provided therapy is initiated early. Currently, there are no specific studies evaluating the efficacy of these treatments in people aged 65 and over. These treatments are very expensive (averaging €200k per individual treated per year) and sometimes cumbersome (involving twice-monthly infusions lasting several hours). There are also no studies on the quality of life of the people aged 65 and over with Fabry disease. Furthermore, there is no clear evidence of any benefit from introducing or continuing treatment beyond the age of 65. Our aim is to evaluate the quality of life of participants with Fabry disease aged 65 and over, both with and without treatment, at baseline and at 2 and 5 year intervals.