OBJECTIVES:  Minimal health-related quality of life (HRQOL) data have been published on myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) patients in the United States. This analysis characterized HRQOL by age group of MDS pts treated with Vidaza® in the AVIDA® registry. METHODS: Data were collected from AVIDA, a Vidaza treatment registry, initiated in US community clinics.  Clinicians provided patient demographic, treatment pattern, and clinical outcome data. Patients reported HRQOL (EORTC-QLQ-C30) within 2 months of treatment initiation.  Mean (Standard Deviation [SD]) scores on global health status (GHS), 5 functional scales and 9 symptom/other scales were analyzed by age: <65, 65-74, ≥75 years.  Statistical significance was ascertained by ANOVA using SAS 9.1. RESULTS: Data were reported from 99 clinics on 427 pts: <65 (n=68), 65-74 (n=127), and ≥75 (n=232) years.  Mean (SD) GHS was 54.8 (1.2) overall, and similar among age groups: 53.9 (2.9), 54.7 (2.1), and 55.2 (1.6), p=0.9263. Similarly, physical, role, and social functioning were comparable. Emotional and cognitive functioning, however, were worse among those <65 versus the older groups: 66.2 (3.5), 78.6 (1.8), 79.5 (1.5), p<0.0001 for emotional, and 72.4 (3.5), 82.7 (1.7), 80.3 (1.4), p=0.0067 for cognitive. The <65 cohort reported significantly worse scores on 4 of 9 symptom/other scores: financial difficulties (34.8 (4.5), 15.3 (2.4), 13.0 (1.7), p<0.0001); insomnia (39.7 (4.0), 27.5 (2.7), 27.3 (2.2), p=0.0141); appetite loss (29.9 (3.8), 18.4 (2.5), 25.3 (2.1), p=0263); and fatigue 53.9 (3.1), 44.3 (2.3), 48.5 (1.8), p=0.0452).  CONCLUSIONS: AVIDA registry findings indicate baseline HRQOL among MDS patients in real world settings differs by age in certain domains. Findings suggest HRQOL is similar or better in elderly MDS patients than younger patients. These differences in emotional and cognitive functioning, fatigue, insomnia, appetite loss, and financial difficulties require consideration by clinicians in managing MDS patients.