Fatigue in patients with spondyloarthritis: data from a tertiary care center in Brazil

Autores: Thelma Larocca Skare, Milena Weber Schiller, Thayná Siqueira Lipienski, Ana Paula Beckhauser, Juliana Simioni, Renato Nisihara

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Introduction:
Fatigue is common in patients with axial spondyloarthritis (SpA), affecting quality of life, and its cause is not fully understood.

Objectives:
To estimate variables associated with fatigue in patients with SpA.

Material and methods:
Patients with SpA were included. Disease activity was assessed using BASDAI (Bath Disease Activity Index), ASDAS-ESR (Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Score-globular sedimentation rate), and ASDAS-CRP (C-reactive protein). Depression was measured by CES-D (Center for Epidemiological Scale–Depression), function by BASFI (Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Functional Index), and quality of life by SF-12.

FACIT (Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy-fatigue) was used to measure fatigue.

Results:
74 patients with SpA were included. Fatigue was correlated with BASDAI (rho=-0.74); BASFI (rho=-0.74); ASDAS-ESR (rho=-0.55); ASDAS-CRP (rho=-0.54); and CES-D (rho=-0.73).

The multiple regression model showed that BASFI (coef β -2.60; 95%CI -3.65 to 1.55; p<0.0001) and CES-D (coef β -0.44; 95%CI 0.09 -0.63 to 0.24; p<0.0001) were correlated with FACIT-fatigue, adjusted for ASDAS, peripheral arthritis, skin lesions, age, sex, and years of disease.

Conclusions:
In this series, fatigue in patients with SpA was associated with functional capacity and depression.