The following is a summary of “Effect of Fatigue on Health-Related Quality of Life and Work Productivity in Psoriatic Arthritis: Findings From a Real-World Survey” November 2022 issue of Rheumatology by Gossec, et al. 

The purpose of this study is to determine the prevalence and severity of fatigue in patients with psoriatic arthritis (PsA), as well as the impact of fatigue severity on quality of life, function, and productivity as measured by patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs).  These numbers are from a cross-sectional survey called the Adelphi Disease Specific Programme, carried out in 2018 across the United States and Europe. Patients were diagnosed with PsA by a medical professional. 

Both patients and doctors reported whether or not their patients were experiencing fatigue (yes/no) and the degree to which they were experiencing fatigue (0-10 scale, using the 12-item Psoriatic Arthritis Impact of Disease fatigue question). Other patient-reported outcomes (PROMs) included the Health Assessment Questionnaire-Disability Index, the Work Productivity and Activity Impairment Questionnaire, and the EuroQol 5-Dimensional, 5-Level Questionnaire (EQ-5D-5L) to assess HRQOL. The correlation between fatigue severity and other PROMs was examined using multivariate linear regression. Around 88% of the 831 patients included reported experiencing exhaustion (mean age 47.5 yrs, mean disease duration 5.3 yrs, 46.9% female, 48.1% receiving a biologic). 

Patients who reported higher levels of weariness also reported higher levels of disease duration, PsA severity, discomfort, the proportion of body surface area covered by psoriasis, and a number of swollen, sensitive joints (all P<0.05). Patients who reported a higher level of exhaustion also had lower levels of physical functioning, HRQOL, and productivity on the job, as determined by multivariate analyses (all P<0.001). However, only 32% of patients who self-reported exhaustion was actually reported to have it by their doctors.  Patients with PsA reported significant rates of weariness, although their doctors rarely acknowledged this symptom. Reduced physical performance, decreased productivity at work, and a generally lower quality of life were all linked to high levels of fatigue.

Source: jrheum.org/content/49/11/1221