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The following is a summary of “Exploring humanistic burden of fatigue in adults with multiple sclerosis: an analysis of US National Health and Wellness Survey data,” published in the February 2024 issue of Neurology by Le et al.
Researchers conducted a retrospective analysis assessing the non-monetary impact of fatigue among relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) patients compared to healthy adults, leveraging data (2017 and 2019) from the US National Health and Wellness Survey.
They utilized the 5-item Modified Fatigue Impact Scale (MFIS-5) to evaluate fatigue levels in patients with RRMS (MFIS-5 score <15, low fatigue [LF]; MFIS-5 score ≥15: high fatigue [HF]). Various health-related QoL measures (Short Form 36-Item Health Survey version 2, Euroqol-5 Dimensions-5 Levels [EQ-5D-5L], Patient Health Questionnaire-9 [PHQ-9], Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 [GAD-7], Perceived Deficits Questionnaire-5) and treatment-related characteristics were examined.
The results showed 498 RRMS responders (n=375 RRMS+LF, n=123 RRMS+HF) compared with 1,494 matched non-MS controls. RRMS+LF and RRMS+HF exhibited significantly lower Short Form 6 Dimensions health utility, Mental and Physical Component Summary, and EQ-5D-5L scores, as well as higher PHQ-9 and GAD-7 scores, in comparison to matched non-MS controls (all P<0.001). Scores were more unfavorable for RRMS+HF than RRMS+LF across all measures (all P<0.001). RRMS+HF reported a greater incidence of moderate-to-severe depression and anxiety compared to RRMS+LF and matched non-MS controls (both P<0.001). Fatigue significantly predicted diminished HRQoL across all measures (all P<0.001).
They concluded that RRMS patients endured a worse QoL due to fatigue, suggesting a need for better fatigue management. This could improve doctor-patient communication and decision-making.
Source: bmcneurol.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12883-023-03423-z
