Abstract:
Introduction: Persistent debilitating fatigue is a frequent complaint in patients with systemic autoimmune rheumatic diseases (SARDs). Fatigue is, however, frequently overlooked in the clinic, and patients who successfully achieve remission of their disease, often still have a lowered quality of life due to its persistence. How similar is this fatigue to Myalgic encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS), what is this fatigue associated with, and what tools/approaches (if any), have resulted in the improvement of fatigue in these patients is poorly defined.
Areas covered: Similarities between the pathophysiology of ME/CFS, systemic sclerosis (SSc) and primary systemic vasculitides (PSV) are discussed, followed by an in-depth review of the prevalence and correlates of fatigue in these diseases. The authors reviewed literature from MEDLINE, APA PsycInfo, Embase, and CINAHL.
Expert opinion: Persistent fatigue is a prominent feature in SARDs and may not be associated with components commonly associated with disease activity and/or progression. Immune and metabolic commonalities exist between ME/CFS, SSc, and PSVs – suggesting that common pathways inherent to the diseases and fatigue may be present. We suggest that patients with features of ME/CFS need to be identified by treating physicians, as they may require alternative approaches to therapy to improve their quality of life.
Source: van Eeden C, Osman MS, Cohen Tervaert JW. Fatigue in ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV) and systemic sclerosis (SSc): similarities with Myalgic encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS). A critical review of the literature. Expert Rev Clin Immunol. 2022 Aug 31:1-22. doi: 10.1080/1744666X.2022.2116002. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 36045606. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36045606/