Uncontrolled HAE Steals Productivity - But Better Control Can Give It Back

Hereditary angioedema (HAE) is more than just painful, unpredictable swelling attacks - it's a thief that robs patients of their daily lives, including their ability to work effectively and engage in routine activities.

New insights from the OASIS-HAE Phase 3 trial (presented in a 2026 JACI abstract) reveal just how deeply HAE impacts work productivity and overall activity. Using patient-reported tools like the WPAI questionnaire, researchers found that individuals with poorer disease control experienced significantly higher levels of impairment. WPAI stands for Work Productivity and Activity Impairment plus Classroom Impairment Questionnaire (WPAI+CIQ) and included evaluations for:

- Presenteeism (reduced productivity while at work/school)

- Overall work/school impairment

- General activity impairment outside of work

The good news? Patients who achieved better disease control reported much lower impairment across most domains.

In the trial context - testing donidalorsen as a preventive therapy- improved control translated to meaningful gains in productivity and daily functioning, with some domains showing substantial reductions in lost time and efficiency compared to baseline or placebo.

For anyone living with or treating HAE, this reinforces a key message: effective long-term control isn't just about fewer attacks—it's about reclaiming work, school, and life. As new options like donidalorsen advance, these patient-centered outcomes highlight the potential to turn the tide on HAE's hidden economic and personal costs.

If you manage HAE patients, prioritizing tools that assess and improve disease control could make a real difference in their quality of life beyond symptom relief alone.

References:

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0091674925013387