Fatigue linked with worse MS outcomes

Kimiko from Japan was diagnosed with MS in 1970. Credit: Shiho Fukada, Panos Pictures

• Studies suggest that anywhere from 52% up to 90% of people with MS experience fatigue, with most describing it as one of their top three most troublesome symptoms.
• A new international survey of over 500 people with MS showed for the first time that fatigue is linked with higher levels of disability, greater levels of depression and anxiety, and poorer cognitive function and sleep in people with MS.
• Information of this sort is valuable, especially to experts who can develop targeted interventions to better help people with MS manage their fatigue, which remains one of the hardest MS symptoms to treat.

Fatigue is one of the most common symptoms of MS, with studies showing anywhere from 52% up to 90% of people with MS experiencing it. Most people with MS experiencing fatigue describe it as one of their top three most troublesome symptoms. Defined by the feeling of prolonged lack of physical and/or mental energy, fatigue can lead to significantly reduced quality of life in people with MS. Furthermore, the MS Research Australia supported Australian MS Longitudinal Study has previously demonstrated that fatigue is the most frequently listed symptom contributing to the loss of employment for people with MS in Australia.

While it is known that fatigue is more prevalent in progressive forms of MS, little is known of its relationship with clinical features of MS such as disability, anxiety, depression, cognition and sleep quality, and other demographic factors such as gender, age and MS duration.

A recently published study led by Dr Scott Rooney and his colleagues at the Glasgow Caledonian University in Scotland, explored these relationships in both progressive and non-progressive forms of MS.

The study used an online survey to collect information internationally from approximately 500 people with MS with the help of MS organisations in the US, UK and Australia.

Most (82%) of the respondents were female, with an average age of 46, and were on average 9.6 years post diagnosis. In this study, people with progressive MS were much older than the reported average age, had the condition longer, and reported higher levels of disability and unemployment compared to participants with non-progressive MS.

The results showed that 70% of people with MS in this study experienced fatigue, which fell within the range reported in other published studies, confirming that fatigue is a common symptom of MS. A higher proportion of participants with progressive MS (81%) reported fatigue compared to those with non-progressive forms of MS (64%), which is also consistent with past publications. However, most importantly, this study showed for the first time that fatigue is linked with higher levels of disability, greater levels of depression and anxiety, and poorer cognitive function and sleep in people with MS. These results were comparable for both people with progressive and non-progressive MS.

Studies like these are great contributors towards improving our understanding of the factors influencing fatigue and how fatigue can influence other symptoms of MS. Experts rely on information of this sort to help them develop carefully targeted interventions to better help people with MS manage their fatigue and improve their quality of life.

Agradecimiento a MS Research Australia – proveedor principal de resúmenes de investigación en nuestro sitio web.