A recent study conducted by a multinational team of researchers has identified various factors associated with fatigue levels in people with scleroderma, also known as systemic sclerosis or SSc. The study found that factors such as smoking, higher body mass index, pain, gastrointestinal and lung involvement, as well as certain demographics, were linked to higher levels of fatigue. On the other hand, older age and male sex were associated with lower fatigue scores.
The researchers emphasized the need for clinicians to focus on managing pain when treating scleroderma patients, as pain was found to have a substantial association with fatigue. The study, published in the journal Rheumatology, highlighted the importance of identifying and addressing the factors contributing to fatigue in SSc patients to improve their quality of life and daily functioning.
The research involved data analysis from 2,385 adults with SSc enrolled in the Scleroderma Patient-centered Intervention Network (SPIN) Cohort from seven countries. The study revealed that fatigue levels were significantly higher in people with scleroderma compared to the general population, with 47% of patients experiencing normal fatigue levels, while 18% had mild fatigue, 27% moderate fatigue, and 8% severe fatigue.
Future research aims to better understand the course of fatigue over time, as well as identifying effective interventions to manage fatigue in SSc patients. The study’s strengths included its large multinational patient population, while limitations included the use of online questionnaires which may impact the generalizability of the results. Overall, the study provides valuable insights into the factors influencing fatigue in people with scleroderma, offering important implications for clinical care and interventions.
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