Fatigue is prevalent and persistent in early rheumatoid arthritis (RA), according to a study published in Rheumatology. Onosi Sylvia Ifesemen, MBBS, and colleagues assessed the prevalence of, risk factors for, and longitudinal course of fatigue in early RA. The analysis included 1,236 participants (67% women; mean age, 57). Age- and sex-standardized prevalence rates of fatigue and severe fatigue were 44% and 19%, respectively. Throughout 3 years and five measurement occasions, fatigue changed little. Two subgroups— fatigue (53%) and no fatigue (47%)—were identified by group-based trajectory modeling. Fatigue group membership was predicted by female sex and worse pain, mental health, and functional ability (area under the receiver operating characteristics curve, 0.81). Swollen joint count and erythrocyte sedimentation rate were not significantly associated with fatigue. “Those with fatigue at baseline were likely to continue to report fatigue at follow-up,” the study authors wrote.
