Chronic fatigue is associated with impaired health-related quality of life in inflammatory bowel disease

People with Inflammatory Bowel Disease Prefer Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Fatigue Management: A Conjoint Analysis

BACKGROUND

Psychological interventions are a promising area for fatigue management in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). However, most interventions trialled to date have been pilots with limited direct input from patients about the type of intervention they want. Thus, this study aimed to explore patient preferences for a psychological IBD fatigue intervention.

METHODS

An international online cross-sectional survey was conducted with adults with self-reported IBD. A conjoint analysis was employed to elicit, through a series of forced-choice scenarios, patient preferences for a fatigue intervention. For this study, the attributes manipulated across these forced-choice scenarios were type of intervention, modality of delivery, and duration of intervention.

RESULTS

Overall, 834 people with IBD were included in analysis. Respondents ranked the type of psychological intervention as most important for overall preference (with cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) preferred over the other approaches), followed by modality of delivery, but placed very little importance on how long the intervention runs for. Patients with IBD appear to most strongly preference a short online CBT intervention for managing their IBD-related fatigue.

CONCLUSION

This study helps provide therapists and program developers clear direction on patient preferences when it comes to developing new psychological programs that address fatigue in IBD.

Deficits in geriatric assessment are important in relation to fatigue in older patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease

BACKGROUND

No previous study has investigated fatigue in older patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD).

AIMS

To describe the prevalence of fatigue in older patients and compare it to the prevalence in younger patients with IBD, and to determine factors associated with fatigue.

METHODS

A prospective, multicenter cohort study, including older- (≥ 65 years) and younger patients with IBD (18-64 years). A geriatric assessment was performed in older patients to measure deficits in geriatric assessment (DiG). Fatigue was defined by one item from the short Inflammatory Bowel Disease Questionnaire. Active disease was defined as the presence of clinical or biochemical disease activity.

RESULTS

Fatigue prevalence in the 405 older patients varied between 45.4% (71/155) in active disease to 23.6% (60/250) in remission. Fatigue prevalence in 155 younger patients was 59.5% (47/79) and 57.4% (89/155), respectively. Female sex, clinical disease activity, use of immunomodulators and presence of DiG were associated with fatigue in older patients with IBD.

CONCLUSIONS

Fatigue prevalence is lower in older patients with IBD compared to younger patients with IBD, but increases when active disease is present. Clinicians should be aware that fatigue is a relevant symptom in older patients with IBD, as it is associated with DiG.

Fatigue in patients with inflammatory bowel disease-strongly influenced by depression and not identifiable through laboratory testing: a cross-sectional survey study

BACKGROUND

Fatigue is a debilitating and highly relevant symptom in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). However, awareness of fatigue and treatment options remains limited. This study was aimed at elucidating the influence of disease activity and common complications (pain, anemia, depression, anxiety and quality of life) on fatigue in patients with IBD to identify potential interventional targets for treating physicians.

METHODS

A cross-sectional survey including five questionnaires (HADS, Fatigue Assessment Scale, McGill Pain Questionnaire, IBDQ and general well-being) was performed on patients with IBD (n = 250) at a university IBD clinic. Additionally, demographic data, laboratory data, IBD history, treatment and current disease activity (Harvey-Bradshaw Index, partial Mayo Score, calprotectin and CRP) were recorded.

RESULTS

A total of 189 patients were analyzed (59.8% with Crohn's disease (CD) and 40.2% with ulcerative colitis (UC)). A total of 51.3% were fatigued, and 12.2% were extremely fatigued. Multiple factors showed significant correlations in univariate analysis. Multivariate analysis revealed that fatigue was correlated with depression (CD, p = 0.002; UC, p = 0.02), diminished quality of life (CD, p = 0.015), female sex (CD, p = 0.015) and younger age (UC, p = 0.024), whereas the influence of anemia or disease activity was non-significant.

CONCLUSIONS

Fatigue is burdensome and highly prevalent in patients with active and inactive IBD. Considerations for fatigue treatment, beyond targeting inflammation and anemia, should include investigation of underlying sub-clinical depression.

The Role of Chronic Fatigue in Patients with Crohn's Disease

Crohn's disease (CD) is a chronic, relapsing disorder belonging to inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD). It is manifested by relapsing transmural inflammation found in any segment of the gastrointestinal tract. Chronic fatigue is a common and underrecognized symptom of CD for which the prevalence is much higher in the population of CD patients compared to the healthy population. It stems from an intricate web of interactions between various risk factors, and its pathophysiology is still not fully understood. The implementation of routine screening and a holistic, multidisciplinary approach involving psychological support may be crucial in the management of CD patients with chronic fatigue. There is currently no single intervention aimed at decreasing fatigue alone, and its treatment is especially difficult in patients with fatigue persisting despite clinical and endoscopic remission. Extensive research is still needed in order to be able to predict, prevent, identify, and ultimately treat fatigue associated with CD. The aim of this review is to summarize the knowledge on the etiology, diagnosis, and treatment of chronic fatigue in CD patients.

The demographic features of fatigue in the general population worldwide: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Background

Fatigue is one of the most common subjective symptoms that impairs daily life and predict health-related events. This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of fatigue in the global population.

Methods

PubMed and the Cochrane Library were used to search for relevant articles from inception to December 31, 2021. Studies with prevalence data of fatigue in the general population were selected and reviewed by three authors independently and cross-checked. Regarding subgroups, adults (≥18 years), minors (<18 years), and specific occupation population (participants in each study being limited to a specific occupational group), and fatigue types and severity, meta-analysis was conducted to produce point estimates and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI).

Results

From the initial 3,432 studies, 91 studies accounting for 115 prevalence data points (623,624 participants) were finally selected. The prevalence of general fatigue (fatigue lasting < 6 months, or fatigue of unspecified duration) was 20.4% (95% CI, 16.7-25.0) in adults, 11.7% (95% CI, 5.2-26.6) in minors, and 42.3% (95% CI, 33.0-54.2) in specific occupations. Chronic fatigue (fatigue lasting more than 6 months) affected 10.1% (95% CI, 8.2-12.5) of adults, 1.5% (95% CI, 0.5-4.7) of minors, and 5.5% (95% CI, 1.4-21.6) of subjects in specific occupations. There was an overall female-predominant prevalence for all subgroup analyses, with a total odds ratio of 1.4 (95% CI, 1.3-1.6). Regarding the severity and presence of medical causes, the total prevalence of moderate fatigue [14.6% (95% CI, 9.8-21.8)] was 2.4-fold that of severe fatigue [6.1% (95% CI, 3.4-11.0)], while unexplained fatigue (fatigue experienced by individuals without any underlying medical condition that can explain the fatigue) was ~2.7-fold that of explained fatigue (fatigue experienced by individuals with a medical condition that can explain the fatigue); as proportion of 40.0% of physical, 8.6% of mental, and 28.4% of mixed cause.

Conclusions

This study has produced the first comprehensive picture of global fatigue prevalence in the general population, which will provide vital reference data contributing to fatigue-related research, including the prevention of diseases.

Systematic review registration

Identifier: CRD42021270498.

Symptoms and symptom clusters in patients newly diagnosed with inflammatory bowel disease: results from the IBSEN III Study

BACKGROUND

Patients with inflammatory bowel disease report multiple symptoms, but the relationships among co-occurring symptoms are poorly understood. This study aimed to examine the prevalence of symptoms and explore symptom clusters and possible associations between symptom clusters and socio-demographic and clinical variables in patients newly diagnosed with inflammatory bowel disease.

METHODS

The IBSEN III study is a prospective population-based inception cohort of patients with inflammatory bowel disease. This study used patient data from the three largest hospitals in the study catchment area. The Memorial Symptom Assessment Scale was used to assess the prevalence of symptoms. Symptom clusters were identified using principal component analysis. Possible associations between socio-demographic and clinical variables and symptom cluster membership were estimated using regression analysis.

RESULTS

Of the 573 patients (age, ≥18 years) diagnosed with inflammatory bowel disease, 350 (61.1%) completed the questionnaire (responders). Eleven symptoms were reported by >50% of the responders. The three most prevalent symptoms were bloating (84%), drowsiness (81%), and lack of energy (81%). Three symptom clusters were identified: psychological (56% of the patients), impaired energy (28%), and physical (16%) clusters. Multinomial regression analysis revealed that vitamin D deficiency was significantly associated with the impaired energy cluster (odds ratio=2.49, 95% confidence interval [1.00-6.2], p=0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

We found high symptom prevalence in patients newly diagnosed with inflammatory bowel disease. Three distinct symptom clusters were identified, and the psychological cluster includes >50% of the patients. Vitamin D deficiency is the only factor associated with cluster membership, namely the impaired energy cluster.

Experience and measurement of fatigue in adults with Crohn's disease: results from qualitative interviews and a longitudinal 2-week daily diary pilot study

BACKGROUND

Fatigue has a detrimental impact on health-related quality of life and functioning in patients with Crohn's disease (CD). We aimed to confirm the relevance and importance of fatigue, establish the content validity of the Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy-Fatigue (FACIT-F), qualitatively explore meaningful change in fatigue experience, and assess the measurement properties of the FACIT-F in patients with moderate-to-severe CD.

METHODS

This was a mixed-methods observational study consisting of a cross-sectional qualitative interview (Part A) and a longitudinal 2-week daily diary pilot study (Part B) in participants aged ≥ 18 years with a clinical diagnosis of moderate-to-severe CD. Part A included open-ended questions related to the participant's overall experiences with CD, fatigue, and impact on daily activities and a cognitive debriefing of several patient-reported outcomes (PROs), including the FACIT-F. Part B consisted of participants completing an electronic daily diary that included the FACIT-F and other PROs for 14 days. Item performance, test-retest reliability, and construct validity were assessed at baseline (Day 1), Day 7, and Day 14.

RESULTS

Thirty-five participants (mean age 45.1 years; 65.7% female) completed an interview (Part A). Ninety-one percent of the interview participants reported fatigue as a symptom attributed to CD. Participants indicated that fatigue had a major impact on their daily activities (e.g., recreation/ hobbies, work/school, yard work and housework), social activities, and emotional health. The FACIT-F was well understood by the interview participants. Seventy-six participants (mean age 41.9 years; 66% female) completed at least the Day 1 diary entry (Part B). Potential floor and ceiling effects were observed for several FACIT-F items, but test-retest reliability and construct validity were all strong and within the ranges hypothesized a priori.

CONCLUSIONS

The interviews indicate that fatigue is a frequent and bothersome symptom experienced by most patients with moderate-to-severe CD and support the content validity of the FACIT-F in this population. Daily diary study results indicate that the FACIT-F scale demonstrates adequate reliability and validity among patients with CD. These study findings suggest that the FACIT-F would be a reliable, valid, and useful measure of fatigue in patients with moderate-to-severe CD.

Fatigue Is Associated with Anxiety and Lower Health-Related Quality of Life in Patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease in Remission

Background and Objectives: Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) are chronic conditions with an unpredictable course and a remitting–relapsing evolution. Fatigue is a frequent complaint in patients with IBD, affecting approximately half of the newly diagnosed patients with IBD. The aim of this study was to analyze fatigue in patients with IBD in remission. Materials and Methods: One hundred nineteen consecutive outpatients diagnosed with IBD for over 3 months that were in corticosteroid-free clinical and biochemical remission at the time of assessment were included in this cross-sectional study. Out of them, 72 (60.5%) were male; the median age was 39 years (IQR 30–47). Seventy-seven patients (64.7%) were diagnosed with Crohn’s disease and forty-two (35.3%) with ulcerative colitis, with a median disease duration of 6 years (IQR 2–10). Fatigue, health-related quality of life (HR-QoL), anxiety and depression were evaluated using the following self-administered questionnaires: FACIT Fatigue, IBDQ 32 and HADS. Results: The mean FACIT-Fatigue score was 41.6 (SD ± 8.62), and 38.7% of patients were revealed as experiencing fatigue when a cut-off value of 40 points was used. The mean IBDQ 32 score was 189.4 (SD ± 24.1). Symptoms of anxiety and depression were detected in 37% and 21% of the patients, respectively. In the multivariate analysis, fatigue was significantly associated with lower HR-QoL (OR 2.21, 95% CI: 1.42–3.44, p < 0.001), symptoms of anxiety (OR 5.04, 95% CI: 1.20–21.22, p = 0.008), female sex (OR 3.32, 95% CI: 1.02–10.76, p = 0.04) and longer disease duration (OR 1.13, 95% CI: 1.01–1.27, p = 0.04). Conclusions: Fatigue is highly prevalent even in patients with inactive IBD and is correlated with lower HR-QoL and anxiety, as well as with clinical factors such as longer disease duration and female sex.

Urgency for bowel movements is a highly discriminatory symptom of active disease in persons with IBD (the Manitoba Living with IBD study)

BACKGROUND

The Inflammatory Bowel Disease Symptom Inventory (IBDSI) is a validated patient self-reported measure used to assess IBD disease activity. There have yet to be more granular analyses on which symptoms are most associated with active disease.

AIMS

To assess the prevalence of symptoms, and to examine which are most associated with disease activity as measured by a symptom index and objective measure of inflammation METHODS: The Manitoba Living with IBD Study is a prospective study of 156 participants with confirmed IBD who completed bi-weekly IBDSI. Relative risks (RR) and predictive values (NPV and PPV) were reported for each symptom to predict active disease defined as active IBDSI, self-reported flare and elevated faecal calprotectin (FCAL) (>250 μg/g). Analyses were undertaken following stratification based on sex, and disease type (Crohn's disease [CD] and ulcerative colitis [UC]).

RESULTS

In total, 69.2% were female; 64.7% had CD. Fatigue was the most prevalent symptom in both inactive and active disease, across all three disease measures (IBDSI: 24.5% and 75.1%, self-reported flare: 42.2% and 72.2%, FCAL: 46.0% and 60.6%). The absence of fatigue had a high NPV for active IBDSI and self-reporting a flare in both CD and UC. Urgency had a consistently strong NPV and RR across all three disease measures in both IBD subtypes and sexes. The number of loose/liquid bowel movements predicted elevated FCAL in UC (RR males = 3.5, 95% CI 1.2-9.9, RR females = 1.8, 95% CI 1.2-2.7), as did blood in stool in UC females (RR = 1.8, 95% CI 1.2-2.7). In males with CD, excessive bowel gas (RR = 2.0, 95% CI 1.2-3.4) and urgency (RR = 3.9, 95% CI 1.6-9.3) best predicted an elevated FCAL. No symptom was strongly predictive of an elevated FCAL in CD females.

CONCLUSIONS

Urgency was consistently associated with disease activity, irrespective of the disease measure. Fatigue was the most prevalent symptom irrespective of disease activity measure. Individual symptoms have different impacts on subjective (IBDSI) and objective (FCAL) measures in IBD.

Reliability and Validity of Korean Version of Crohn’s and Ulcerative Colitis Questionnaire-8

Background. Patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) have a decreased quality of life (QoL), the improvement of which is a treatment goal. The CUCQ-8 is a verified simple and effective QoL measurement tool. We validated the Korean version of CUCQ-8 with the approval of its developer. Methods. We investigated the correlation between the Korean version of CUCQ-8 and the IBDQ-32 in patients with IBD. Results. In all, 147 subjects (male, 97 (66.0%); female, 50 (34.0%); mean age $36.2\pm 13.5$ years) were analyzed. Cronbach’s alpha coefficient of the CUCQ-8 was 0.833, indicating very high internal consistency. The Korean version of the CUCQ-8 showed a significant correlation with the IBDQ-32 and its subscales (correlation coefficient, >0.75). Conclusions. The Korean version of the CUCQ-8 has high reliability and construct validity and can be used to evaluate the QoL of patients with IBD.

Impact of adalimumab on disease burden in moderate-to-severe ulcerative colitis patients: The one-year, real-world UCanADA study

BACKGROUND

A gap remains in documenting the impact of anti-tumor necrosis factor therapy on disease burden in ulcerative colitis (UC) patients treated in a real-world setting. The use of patient-reported outcomes (PROs) has been discussed as a primary endpoint in the context of the FDA PRO Guidance, for labelling purposes. Specifically, the efficacy and safety of adalimumab have been demonstrated in pivotal trials; however, data are needed to understand how clinical results translate into improvements in key aspects of the daily lives of UC patients, such as symptoms, health-related quality of life (HRQoL), and disability.

AIM

To assess real-world effectiveness of adalimumab on PRO measures in patients with moderate-to-severe UC.

METHODS

UCanADA was a single arm, prospective, 1-year multicenter Canadian post-marketing observational study in which multiple PRO questionnaires were completed—with psychologic distress/depression symptoms as the primary endpoint—by patients with moderate-to-severe UC. Assessments were performed during patients’ routine care visit schedule, which was at the initiation of adalimumab (baseline), after induction (approximately 8 wk), and 52 wk after baseline. Additional optional assessments between weeks 8 and 52 were collected at least once but no more than two times during this period. Serious safety events and per-protocol adverse events were collected.

RESULTS

From 23 Canadian centres, 100 patients were enrolled and 48 completed the study. Measured with the Patient Health Questionnaire–9 items at week 52, 61.5% (40/65) [95% confidence interval (CI): 49.7%-73.4%] of the patients improved in psychologic distress/depression symptoms, which was slightly higher in completers [65.9% (29/44); 95%CI: 51.9%-79.9%)]. At week 52, clinical response and clinical remission were achieved respectively by 65.7% (44/73) and 47.8% (32/73) of the patients. The odds of improving depressive symptoms for those achieving a clinical remission at week 52 was 7.94 higher compared with those not achieving a clinical remission (CI: 1.42, 44.41; P = 0.018). Significant changes from baseline to weeks 8 and 52 were observed in disability, HRQoL, and fatigue. Meaningful improvement was reported in work impairment.

CONCLUSION

At week 52, over 60% of the UCanADA patients had depressive symptoms significantly reduced, as well as HRQoL, fatigue symptoms, and work impairment improved. No new safety signals were detected.

Fatigue is a systemic extraintestinal disease manifestation largely independent of disease activity, chronicity, and nutritional deficiencies in inflammatory bowel disease on biologics

BACKGROUND

Fatigue is a common symptom reported by patients with chronic immunoinflammatory diseases and with profound negative implications on health-related quality of life. This study aimed to delineate underlying components contributing to fatigue in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) receiving biologic therapy.

METHODS

Cross-sectional questionnaire study of all patients with IBD receiving any biologic therapy at a tertiary IBD center. Fatigue was assessed by Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy-Fatigue (FACIT-F). Disease activity and quality of life were evaluated by generic questionnaires. Principal component analysis (PCA) was used to identify components of variables explaining fatigue.

RESULTS

Three hundred patients with IBD were included. Moderate-to-severe fatigue defined as FACIT-F ≤ 39 was present in half of the included patients. PCA condensed variables associated with fatigue into three main components contributing to 49% of observed fatigue. The first component, explaining 21% of fatigue, included factors related to disease chronicity, e.g., long disease duration, high number of previously used biologic therapies, presence of previous intestinal surgery, and increasing age. The second component explained 14% of fatigue and comprised disease activity-related aspects, e.g., disease activity indices and C-reactive protein. The third explained 14% of fatigue and comprised various nutritional deficiencies.

CONCLUSION

Fatigue can partly be explained by chronicity, disease activity, and nutritional deficits. However, the cause of fatigue is unexplained in approximately half of the patients with IBD supporting that fatigue can be an independent, systemic extraintestinal disease manifestation in IBD.

Pelvic floor behavioral treatment for fecal incontinence and constipation in quiescent inflammatory bowel disease

BACKGROUND AND AIM

Refractory bowel symptoms in quiescent inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) are common but evidence for effective management is limited. We aimed to determine whether behavioral treatment, including pelvic floor muscle training, decreases the severity of functional bowel symptoms in patients with quiescent IBD. Secondary aims were to evaluate the treatment effect on quality of life, psychological well-being and pelvic floor muscle function.

METHODS

This prospective study included IBD patients in remission with persistent symptoms of fecal incontinence or constipation who received up to six sessions of behavioral treatment at monthly intervals. The primary outcome was patient-rated symptom improvement on a 7-point Likert scale (1 = substantially worse, 7 = substantially better). Secondary outcomes included validated symptom scores, quality-of-life, psychological measures, and transperineal ultrasound assessment of pelvic floor muscle activity.

RESULTS

Thirty-four patients (median age 38 years; 24 females; 18 ulcerative colitis, 13 Crohn's disease, 3 ileo-anal pouch) were included. Twenty-one of the 29 (72%) patients who completed treatment, or 21 of all 34 (62%) patients, reported moderate or substantial improvement (patient rating of 6 or 7). Symptom scores (p < .001), IBD-specific quality of life (p = .008) and illness perception scores (p = .003) significantly improved. General quality of life, and anxiety and depression scores, did not change significantly. Transperineal ultrasound pelvic floor measures did not correlate with patient-rating of symptom improvement.

CONCLUSION

Significant symptomatic improvement occurred in a majority of patients with quiescent IBD. Behavioral treatment should be considered for patients with quiescent IBD and ongoing functional bowel symptoms of fecal incontinence, fecal urgency, or constipation.

The Impact of Cancer-Related Fatigue on HRQOL in Survivors of Childhood Cancer: A DCCSS LATER Study

Simple Summary

Survivors of childhood cancer have an increased risk to experience symptoms of severe and persistent fatigue. We studied how fatigue might affect the health-related quality of life of these survivors. Questionnaire items asking about a broad range of daily life aspects were compared between fatigued survivors, survivors without fatigue and the general Dutch population. A total of eleven aspects were studied which were all negatively affected by fatigue, with the largest impact seen for Vitality (how much energy does a person have), General Health (perception of current and future health) and Role Limitations (work-related activities). Results show the negative impact fatigue can have on the daily lives of survivors and why it is important to treat fatigue adequately.

Abstract

Background: Early detection and management of late effects of treatment and their impact on health-related quality of life (HRQOL) has become a key goal of childhood cancer survivorship care. One of the most prevalent late effects is chronic fatigue (CF). The current study aimed to investigate the association between CF and HRQOL in a nationwide cohort of CCS. Methods: Participants were included from the Dutch Childhood Cancer Survivor Study (DCCSS) LATER cohort, a nationwide cohort of CCS. Participants completed the Checklist Individual Strength (CIS) to indicate CF (CIS fatigue severity subscale ≥ 35 and duration of symptoms ≥6 months) and the Short Form-36 (SF-36) and TNO (Netherlands Organization for Applied Scientific Research) and AZL (Leiden University Medical Centre) Adult’s Health-Related Quality of Life questionnaire (TAAQOL) as measures for HRQOL. Differences in mean HRQOL domain scores between CF and non-CF participants were investigated using independent samples t-tests and ANCOVA to adjust for age and sex. The association between CF and impaired HRQOL (scoring ≥ 2 SD below the population norm) was investigated using logistic regression analyses, adjusting for confounders. Results: A total of 1695 participants were included in the study. Mean HRQOL domain scores were significantly lower in participants with CF. In addition, CF was associated with impaired HRQOL on all of the domains (except physical functioning) with adjusted odds ratios ranging from 2.1 (95% CI 1.3–3.4; sexuality domain) to 30.4 (95% CI 16.4–56.2; vitality domain). Conclusions: CF is associated with impaired HRQOL, urging for the screening and regular monitoring of fatigue, and developing possible preventative programs and interventions.

Health-Related Quality of Life in Patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease in Clinical Remission: What Should We Look For?

Background and Objectives: Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) are chronic conditions with an unpredictable evolution that can have a negative impact on patients’ quality of life (QoL). Even though patients in remission have a better QoL compared to patients with active disease, they still have a lower QoL compared to healthy people. The aim of this study is to identify the factors that are associated with a lower QoL in patients with IBD in clinical remission, in a tertiary IBD center in Romania. Materials and Methods: Ninety-seven adult patients with a current diagnosis of IBD for over 3 months who were in clinical remission were enrolled in this study. Pregnant women, patients with ostomy, perianal disease, extraintestinal manifestations or other significant comorbidities were excluded. Out of the 97 patients, 63.9% were men. The median age was 39 years (IQR 29−47), and the median disease duration was 5 years (IQR 2−10). Disease activity was assessed using the SCCAI score for ulcerative colitis and HBI score for Crohn’s disease. Remission was defined for SCCAI score ≤ 1 and HBI score ≤ 4. The health-related quality of life (HR-QoL) was assessed using the IBDQ32 score. FACIT-Fatigue was used to evaluate the level of fatigue. Patients with symptoms of anxiety or depression were identified with the HADS score. Symptoms of anxiety were considered when HADS-A >7 points and symptoms of depression when HADS-D >7 points. Results: Sixty-five patients (67%) were diagnosed with CD and the remaining 32 (33%) with UC. Ninety-three patients (95.9%) were on biological therapy. The mean IBDQ score (total score) was 190.54 points (SD +/− 8.2). The mean FACIT Fatigue score was 42.5 (SD +/− 8.2), with 6.2% of patients suffering from severe fatigue (FACIT Fatigue < 30 points). A total of 33% of patients had symptoms of anxiety and 16.5% of depression. Exposure to more than one biologic therapy (p = 0.02), fatigue (p < 0.001) and symptoms of anxiety (p < 0.001) were associated with a lower HR-QoL in the multivariate analysis. Female patients, patients with Crohn’s disease, patients with anemia and patients with symptoms of depression also had a lower HR-QoL, but this did not reach statistical significance in our study. Conclusions: Exposure to a higher number of biological agents (patients that switched multiple biologics), the presence of fatigue and symptoms of anxiety impair the HR-QoL of patients with IBD in clinical remission. Further studies should assess in a prospective manner whether early identification of these factors with prompt clinical interventions could lead to a better HR-QoL in these patients.

Randomized Controlled Trial of Cognitive-Behavioral and Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction on the Quality of Life of Patients With Crohn Disease

BACKGROUND

Patients with Crohn disease have debilitating psychological symptoms, mental fatigue, and poor quality of life. Psychological intervention may improve these symptoms.

METHODS

We performed a randomized parallel-group physician-blinded trial of cognitive-behavioral and mindfulness-based stress reduction (COBMINDEX) on quality of life and psychological symptoms in adults with mild-moderate Crohn disease. COBMINDEX was taught by social workers in one-on-one video conferences over 3 months; quotidian home practice was mandated.

RESULTS

Fifty-five COBMINDEX and 61 waitlist control patients completed the study; mean age was 33 years and 65% of participants were women. At 3 months, COBMINDEX patients had significantly reduced disease activity (per Harvey-Bradshaw Index score, C-reactive protein level, and calprotectin level), increased quality of life (Short Inflammatory Bowel Disease Questionnaire [SIBDQ] score increased from baseline 41 to 50; P < 0.001), decreased psychological symptoms (Global Severity Index [GSI], 0.98-0.70; P < 0.001), reduced fatigue (Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy-Fatigue, 26-33; P < 0.001), and increased mindfulness disposition (Freiburg Mindfulness Inventory, 33-38; P < 0.001). Waitlist patients had a significant but small change in Harvey-Bradshaw Index, SIBDQ, and GSI scores, without improvement in fatigue or mindfulness. There were significant correlations (0.02 > P < 0.002) in COBMINDEX patients between baseline SIBDQ, GSI, Freiburg Mindfulness Inventory, and Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy-Fatigue scores with a relative change (baseline to 3 months) of the SIBDQ score, but none among waitlist patients. Predictors of relative change of the SIBDQ score in COBMINDEX patients included the GSI score (90% quantile; coefficient 0.52; P < 0.001), somatization (90%; 0.20; P = 0.001), depression (75%; 0.16; P = 0.03), and phobic anxiety (75%; 0.31; P = 0.008).

CONCLUSIONS

COBMINDEX was effective in increasing patients' quality of life and reducing psychological symptoms and fatigue. Patients with severe baseline psychological symptoms benefited the most from COBMINDEX.

The multidimensional fatigue inventory (MFI-20): psychometrical testing in a Norwegian sample of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients

OBJECTIVES

To evaluate the psychometric properties of the Norwegian version of the multidimensional fatigue inventory (MFI-20) in patients with inflammatory bowel disease.

METHODS

Participants were recruited from nine hospitals in the southeastern and western parts of Norway. Clinical and sociodemographic data were collected, and participants completed the MFI-20, as well as the Fatigue Questionnaire (FQ). In addition to a confirmatory factor analysis, validity, reliability, test-retest and responsiveness were evaluated.

RESULTS

In total, 410 patients were included. The Norwegian MFI-20 had an acceptable model fit when compared to the original five-dimensional structure. A positive correlation was observed between the dimensions of MFI-20 and the FQ. MFI-20 scores increased according to subjective disease activity, but no differences were observed when using a calprotectin cut-off < or > =250 µg/g mg/kg. All MFI-20 dimensions except 'reduced motivation' in both ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn's disease (CD) patients had alpha Cronbach alpha values ≥70, and test-retest reliability revealed good to excellent values. Merely one dimension (Reduced activity) in UC patients reporting improvement did not reach the threshold for acceptable responsiveness according to Guyatt statistics.

CONCLUSIONS

The Norwegian version of MFI-20 is valid, reliable and responsive. The instrument can safely be used in studies using fatigue as an endpoint.

Trajectories of Fatigue in Inflammatory Bowel Disease

BACKGROUND

Fatigue is one of the most frequently reported symptoms by patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), both during active disease phases as well as during clinical remission. This study addressed whether different trajectories of fatigue over time can be identified among patients with IBD. Subsequently, we compared the demographic and clinical characteristics between trajectories.

METHODS

The current study included 849 patients with IBD diagnosed with either Crohn disease (CD; n = 511) or ulcerative colitis (UC; n = 338) who visited the University Medical Center in Groningen (the Netherlands) at least 3 times during a 9-year follow-up. We conducted latent class growth analyses to identify distinct trajectories.

RESULTS

In all patients with IBD (and in the subgroup with CD), we found 5 trajectories for fatigue. In the UC subgroup, we found 4 fatigue trajectories. One trajectory present in both patients with CD (11.45%) and patients with UC (4.75%) was characterized by chronic elevated levels of fatigue across time. Women and parents were more prevalent in trajectories with higher fatigue severity. We also found significant associations among the fatigue trajectories with disease activity and psychological well-being.

CONCLUSIONS

The results clearly showed the existence of distinct fatigue paths over time in patients with IBD. Those reporting more chronic elevated levels of fatigue also reported greater disease activity and reduced well-being. Therefore, reducing disease activity may be important for the treatment of fatigue. In addition, given the significant association with well-being, it is possible that reducing fatigue may improve self-reported well-being.

Anemia in Crohn's Disease-The Unseen Face of Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Background and Objectives: Anemia is the most frequent complication of inflammatory bowel diseases. Clinically, anemia can affect important quality-of-life (QoL) components, such as exercise capacity, cognitive function, and the ability to carry out social activities. The disease activity has a significant impact on QoL, mainly due to clinical manifestations, which are more severe during the periods of disease activity. Our aim was to estimate the impact of anemia on QoL in patients with Crohn's disease. Material and Methods. We made a prospective study on 134 patients with Crohn's disease (CD) in a Romanian tertiary center. The CD diagnosis was established by colonoscopy and histopathological examination. In particular cases, additional examinations were required (small bowel capsule endoscopy, computed tomography enterography, and magnetic resonance enterography). Anemia was defined according to the World Health Organization's definition, the activity of the disease was assessed by Crohn's disease activity index (CDAI) score, and the QoL was evaluated by Inflammatory Bowel Disease Questionnaire 32 (IBDQ 32). Results: 44.8% patient had anemia, statistically related to the activity of the disease and corticoids use. We found a strong association between QoL and disease activity on all four sub-scores: patients with more severe activity had a significantly lower IBDQ (260.38 ± 116.96 vs. 163.85 ± 87.20, p = 0.001) and the presence of anemia (127.03 vs. 148.38, p = 0.001). In multiple regression analyses, both disease activity and anemia had an impact on the QoL. Conclusions: Anemia has high prevalence in the CD in northeastern region of Romania. Anemia was more common in female patients, in patients undergoing corticosteroid treatment, and in those with active disease. Both anemia and disease activity had a strong negative and independent impact on QoL.

Evaluation of the Unidimensional Fatigue Impact Scale (U-FIS) in Crohn's Disease: The Importance of Local Item Dependency

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

The Unidimensional Fatigue Impact Scale (U-FIS) was developed for use in a multiple sclerosis population. The aim was to determine whether the U-FIS is a valid tool for measuring the impact of fatigue in Crohn's disease (CD).

METHOD

CD patients completed the U-FIS as part of a validation study of the Crohn's Life Impact Questionnaire (CLIQ). Data were analyzed according to Rasch measurement theory (RMT).

RESULTS

Two hundred sixty-one completed U-FIS questionnaires were available for analysis. After rescoring the items to resolve disordered thresholds, all 22 items showed acceptable RMT fit. However, there was considerable local item dependency (LID).

CONCLUSION

The U-FIS did not provide unidimensional measurement in a sample of CD patients due to high levels of LID. Combining the three FIS outcomes into a single measure was not justified.

Prevalence of Fatigue and Unrecognized Depression in Patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease in Remission under Immunosuppressants and Biologicals

Background: Although highly prevalent among inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients, fatigue remains an unmet clinical need. The aim was to describe the prevalence of fatigue in an IBD population in remission and identify factors associated with fatigue. Methods: IBD patients in clinical and biochemical remission under treatment with immunomodulators or biologicals were included. Fatigue, physical tiredness and depression were assessed using the fatigue Visual Analogue Scale (fVAS), the Shortened Fatigue Questionnaire (SFQ) and the Quick Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology-Self Report (QIDS-SR), respectively. Relevant clinical and biochemical parameters were included in regression analyses to identify factors associated with physical fatigue. Results: In total, 157 IBD patients were included. Up to 45.9% of patients reported fatigue, physical tiredness was observed in 51% and depression in 10.8%. The majority of patients with subclinical depression were fatigued. Female sex (OR = 4.17 [1.55–6.78], p = 0.002) was independently associated with physical fatigue. Transferrin saturation (OR = −0.11 [−0.22–−0.007], p = 0.037) and treatment with adalimumab (compared to infliximab, OR = −3.65 [−7.21–−0.08], p = 0.045) entailed a lower risk of fatigue. Conclusion: Fatigue is observed in about half of IBD patients in remission and can be a symptom of underlying undetected depression. Sex, transferrin saturation and medication were identified as independent risk factors.

The IBD-F Patient Self-Assessment Scale Accurately Depicts the Level of Fatigue and Predicts a Negative Effect on the Quality of Life of Patients With IBD in Clinical Remission

BACKGROUND

Fatigue is highly prevalent among patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and may have an unfavorable impact on quality of life (QoL). The IBD-Fatigue scale (with components SCORE1 and SCORE2) is a recently developed disease-specific questionnaire. We sought to validate a Greek version of IBD-F and use it to assess the severity and characteristics of fatigue and its effect on QoL in our study population.

METHODS

The IBD-F scale was validated and used to obtain fatigue-related data from patients with IBD attending a tertiary care hospital. Correlations with other fatigue and QoL instruments were performed.

RESULTS

The Greek IBD-F showed high internal consistency and test-retest reliability (Cronbach's alpha = 0.901/0.966 and intraclass correlation coefficient = 0.876/0.895 for SCORE1/SCORE2, respectively). A SCORE1 >7.5 suggested "significant" fatigue. In a cohort of 157 patients (mean age = 35.8 y; male patients = 52.2%; patients with Crohn disease = 65.6%), both SCORE1 and SCORE2 were significantly associated with Crohn disease (odds ratio [OR] = 4.17; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.05-8.47; b = 8.5; 95% CI, 2.8-14.1, respectively), female sex (OR = 7.27; 95% CI, 3.19-16.6; b = 15.3; 95% CI, 9-21.6), and Harvey-Bradshaw Index/Simple Clinical Colitis Activity Index score (OR = 1.22; 95% CI, 1.06-1.39; b = 1.8; 95% CI, 0.9-2.8). A SCORE1 >7.5 was present in 46% of patients in remission, and 82% of patients with a baseline SCORE1 >7.5 remained fatigued at serial measurements. The SCORE1 was significantly associated with impaired QoL (P < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

The validated IBD-F scale is a useful and applicable instrument for use in the IBD population. A large proportion of patients have significant fatigue, which is maintained longitudinally, independent of inflammatory activity. Fatigue impairs QoL, thus necessitating interventions that may lead to its amelioration in the IBD population.

Hypophosphatemia after high-dose intravenous iron treatment in patients with inflammatory bowel disease: Mechanisms and possible clinical impact

BACKGROUND

High-dose intravenous iron is an effective treatment option for iron deficiency (ID) or ID anaemia (IDA) in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). However, treatment with ferric carboxymaltose (FCM) has been associated with the development of hypophosphatemia.

AIM

To investigate mechanisms behind the development of hypophosphatemia after intravenous iron treatment, and disclose symptoms and clinical manifestations related to hypophosphatemia short-term.

METHODS

A prospective observational study of adult IBD patients with ID or IDA was conducted between February 1, 2017 and July 1, 2018 at two separate university hospitals in the southeast region of Norway. Patients received one dose of 1000 mg of either FCM or ferric derisomaltose (FDI) and were followed for an observation period of at least 7 wk. Blood and urine samples were collected for relevant analyses at baseline, week 2 and at week 6. Clinical symptoms were assessed at the same timepoints using a respiratory function test, a visual analogue scale, and a health-related quality of life questionnaire.

RESULTS

A total of 106 patients was available for analysis in this study. The FCM treatment group consisted of 52 patients and hypophosphatemia was present in 72.5% of the patients at week 2, and in 21.6% at week 6. In comparison, the FDI treatment group consisted of 54 patients and 11.3% of the patients had hypophosphatemia at week 2, and 3.7% at week 6. The difference in incidence was highly significant at both week 2 and 6 (P < 0.001 and P < 0.013, respectively). We observed a significantly higher mean concentration of intact fibroblast growth factor 23 (P < 0.001), a significant rise in mean urine fractional excretion of phosphate (P = 0.004), a significant decrease of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D (P < 0.001) and of ionised calcium levels (P < 0.012) in the FCM-treated patients compared with patients who received FDI. No clinical symptoms could with certainty be related to hypophosphatemia, since neither the respiratory function test, SF-36 (36-item short form health survey) or the visual analogue scale scores resulted in significant differences between patients who developed hypophosphatemia or not.

CONCLUSION

Fibroblast growth factor 23 has a key role in FCM induced hypophosphatemia, probably by inducing loss of phosphate in the urine. Short-term clinical impact of hypophosphatemia was not demonstrated.

Do Rural Residents in China Understand EQ-5D-5L as Intended? Evidence From a Qualitative Study

BACKGROUND

The 5-level EQ-5D (EQ-5D-5L) has been increasingly used in China to measure the health status of the general population and patients. However, its content validity among rural residents in China has not been formally evaluated. This qualitative study aims to assess the content validity of EQ-5D-5L among rural Chinese.

METHODS

Participants were recruited from four regions (North, South, East and West) across China. Eligible participants were those living in the rural area in last three years and making a living by agricultural operations. Semi-structured interviews were conducted. Interview transcripts were analysed to assess the comprehensibility, relevance, clarity and comprehensiveness.

RESULTS

Sixty-two participants were included, comparable to the national figures regarding age, sex and education. For comprehensibility, participants could understand the 'mobility', 'self-care' and 'usual activities' domains well, but some reported confusions in 'pain/discomfort' (n = 42) and 'anxiety/depression' (n = 35). Some also reported difficulties in understanding anxiety (n = 6) and depression (n = 9), possibly due to the formal wording used. For relevance, all domains were reported as health-related and participants' responses were based on their own health. For clarity, all could distinguish the five levels, but suggestions on reducing response levels and alternative wording for 'slight' were raised. For comprehensiveness, two aspects (fatigue/energy and appetite) were raised beyond the EQ-5D-5L domains. The 'mobility' domain was selected as the most important and 'anxiety/depression' as the least important.

CONCLUSION

Rural Chinese reported problems on the content validity of Chinese EQ-5D-5L. It might be sensible to consider some revisions to make it more understandable for rural residents.

Longitudinal Trajectory of Fatigue in Patients With Inflammatory Bowel Disease: A Prospective Study

BACKGROUND

Fatigue is a disabling symptom in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Its prevalence, mechanism, and impact remain poorly understood. We determined changes in fatigue status over time and identified predictors of incident or resolving fatigue.

METHODS

This was a prospective study nested within the IBD Partners cohort. Participants prospectively completed the Multidimensional Fatigue Inventory and the Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy-Fatigue at baseline, 6 months, and 12 months. A Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy-Fatigue score ≤43 defined significant fatigue. Multivariable regression models using baseline covariates were used to identify risk factors for incident fatigue at 6 months and to predict the resolution of fatigue.

RESULTS

A total of 2429 patients (1605 with Crohn disease, 824 with ulcerative colitis) completed a baseline assessment, and 1057 completed a second assessment at 6 months. Persistent fatigue (at baseline and at 6 months) was the most common pattern, affecting two-thirds (65.8%) of patients. One-sixth (15.7%) of patients had fatigue at 1 timepoint, whereas fewer than one-fifth (18.5%) of patients never reported fatigue. Among patients not fatigued at baseline, 26% developed fatigue at 6 months. The strongest predictor of incident fatigue was sleep disturbance at baseline (odds ratio, 2.91; 95% confidence interval, 1.48-5.72). In contrast, only 12.3% of those with fatigue at baseline had symptom resolution by month 6. Resolution was more likely in patients with a diagnosis of ulcerative colitis, quiescent disease, and an absence of significant psychological comorbidity.

CONCLUSIONS

Fatigue is common in patients with IBD. However, only a few fatigued patients experience symptom resolution at 6 or 12 months, suggesting the need for novel interventions to ameliorate its impact.

Fatigue in inflammatory bowel disease: a problematic ailment

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

Fatigue, a protean complaint encompassing both physical, mental exhaustion but also demotivation, has shown to effect quality of life in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Here we present a review of the literature as it relates to IBD-associated fatigue. Moreover, we present the common causes attributed to fatigue and present an algorithmic approach to the assessment of fatigue. Finally, we report data regarding potential management strategies for IBD-associated fatigue.

RECENT FINDINGS

Unfortunately, owing to its multidimensional nature and multifactorial causes, patients with IBD may continue to report fatigue despite optimization of disease management, replenishment of nutritional deficiencies, or management of coexistent disorders. Management likely requires a multidisciplinary approach.

SUMMARY

The majority of patients with IBD report fatigue symptoms both in setting of active disease but also during the course of remission. Fatigue is a multidimensional complaints, and management likely requires a multidisciplinary approach. Herein, we present a framework for the management and assessment of fatigue in IBD.

When Family Don't Acknowledge: A Hermeneutic Study of the Experience of Kinship Stigma in Community-Dwelling People With Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Recent evidence suggests that kinship stigma-the experience of being or feeling stigmatized by family members-arises in the stories of people with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Adopting Goffman's definition of stigma as "an attribute which is deeply discrediting," we used hermeneutic (interpretive) phenomenology to further explore the meaning of kinship stigma for people with IBD and reveal its significance. In total, 18 unstructured interviews took place in participants' own homes in the United Kingdom, between July 2015 and April 2016. Transcripts were analyzed using a hermeneutic method to reveal three relational themes and one constitutive pattern. Referring to relevant literature, the presence and impact of kinship stigma on people with IBD is revealed. Kinship stigma-experienced as and meaning a lack of acknowledgment-may have wide-ranging implications for health and social care professionals caring for persons with IBD or other chronic illness and their families.

Factors Associated with Poor Quality of Life in a Canadian Cohort of Patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease: A Cross-sectional Study

Background

Health-related quality of life (QoL) is often adversely affected in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). We aimed to identify factors associated with poor QoL among Canadian patients with IBD in clinical remission.

Methods

We enrolled patients at a single academic tertiary care center with inactive IBD. All eligible patients completed a series of questionnaires that included questions on demographics, disease activity, anxiety, depression and the presence of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) symptoms. Stool sample for fecal calprotectin (FC) was also collected to assess for subclinical inflammation. The primary outcome measure was QoL assessed by the short inflammatory bowel disease questionnaire (SIBDQ), with planned subgroup comparisons for fatigue, anxiety, depression and IBS symptoms.

Results

Ninety-three patients were eligible for inclusion in this study. The median SIBDQ scores were lower in patients with anxiety (P < 0.001), depression (P = 0.004), IBS symptoms (P < 0.001) and fatigue (P = 0.018). Elevated FC in patients in clinical remission did not impact QoL. These findings were consistent on multivariate linear regression.

Conclusions

Anxiety, depression, fatigue and IBS symptoms are all independently associated with lower QoL in patients with inactive IBD. Clinicians are encouraged to screen for these important factors as they may detrimentally impact QoL in IBD patients even in clinical remission.

Interventions for fatigue in inflammatory bowel disease

BACKGROUND

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is an umbrella term used to describe a group of chronic, progressive inflammatory disorders of the digestive tract. Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis are the two main types. Fatigue is a common, debilitating and burdensome symptom experienced by individuals with IBD. The subjective, complex nature of fatigue can often hamper its management. The efficacy and safety of pharmacological or non-pharmacological treatments for fatigue in IBD is not yet established through systematic review of studies.

OBJECTIVES

To assess the efficacy and safety of pharmacological and non-pharmacological interventions for managing fatigue in IBD compared to no treatment, placebo or active comparator.

SEARCH METHODS

A systematic search of the databases Embase, MEDLINE, Cochrane Library, CINAHL, PsycINFO was undertaken from inception to July 2018. A top-up search was run in October 2019. We also searched the Cochrane IBD Group Specialized Register, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, ongoing trials and research registers, conference abstracts and reference lists for potentially eligible studies.

SELECTION CRITERIA

Randomised controlled trials of pharmacological and non-pharmacological interventions in children or adults with IBD, where fatigue was assessed as a primary or secondary outcome using a generic or disease-specific fatigue measure, a subscale of a larger quality of life scale or as a single-item measure, were included.

DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS

Two authors independently screened search results and four authors extracted and assessed bias independently using the Cochrane 'Risk of bias' tool. The primary outcome was fatigue and the secondary outcomes included quality of life, adverse events (AEs), serious AEs and withdrawal due to AEs. Standard methodological procedures were used.

MAIN RESULTS

We included 14 studies (3741 participants): nine trials of pharmacological interventions and five trials of non-pharmacological interventions. Thirty ongoing studies were identified, and five studies are awaiting classification. Data on fatigue were available from nine trials (1344 participants). In only four trials was managing fatigue the primary intention of the intervention (electroacupuncture, physical activity advice, cognitive behavioural therapy and solution-focused therapy). Electroacupuncture Fatigue was measured with Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy - Fatigue (FACIT-F) (scores range from 0 to 52). The FACIT-F score at week eight was 8.00 points higher (better) in participants receiving electroacupuncture compared with no treatment (mean difference (MD) 8.00, 95% CI 6.45 to 9.55; 1 RCT; 27 participants; low-certainty evidence). Results at week 16 could not be calculated. FACIT-F scores were also higher with electroacupuncture compared to sham electroacupuncture at week eight (MD 5.10, 95% CI 3.49 to 6.71; 1 RCT; 30 participants; low-certainty evidence) but not at week 16 (MD 2.60, 95% CI 0.74 to 4.46; 1 RCT; 30 participants; low-certainty evidence). No adverse events were reported, except for one adverse event in the sham electroacupuncture group. Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) and solution-focused therapy Compared with a fatigue information leaflet, the effects of CBT on fatigue are very uncertain (Inflammatory Bowel Disease-Fatigue (IBD-F) section I: MD -2.16, 95% CI -6.13 to 1.81; IBD-F section II: MD -21.62, 95% CI -45.02 to 1.78; 1 RCT, 18 participants, very low-certainty evidence). The efficacy of solution-focused therapy on fatigue is also very uncertain, because standard summary data were not reported (1 RCT, 98 participants). Physical activity advice One 2 x 2 factorial trial (45 participants) found physical activity advice may reduce fatigue but the evidence is very uncertain. At week 12, compared to a control group receiving no physical activity advice plus omega 3 capsules, FACIT-F scores were higher (better) in the physical activity advice plus omega 3 group (FACIT-F MD 6.40, 95% CI -1.80 to 14.60, very low-certainty evidence) and the physical activity advice plus placebo group (FACIT-F MD 9.00, 95% CI 1.64 to 16.36, very low-certainty evidence). Adverse events were predominantly gastrointestinal and similar across physical activity groups, although more adverse events were reported in the no physical activity advice plus omega 3 group. Pharmacological interventions Compared with placebo, adalimumab 40 mg, administered every other week ('eow') (only for those known to respond to adalimumab induction therapy), may reduce fatigue in patients with moderately-to-severely active Crohn's disease, but the evidence is very uncertain (FACIT-F MD 4.30, 95% CI 1.75 to 6.85; very low-certainty evidence). The adalimumab 40 mg eow group was less likely to experience serious adverse events (OR 0.56, 95% CI 0.33 to 0.96; 521 participants; moderate-certainty evidence) and withdrawal due to adverse events (OR 0.48, 95%CI 0.26 to 0.87; 521 participants; moderate-certainty evidence). Ferric maltol may result in a slight increase in fatigue, with better SF-36 vitality scores reported in the placebo group compared to the treatment group following 12 weeks of treatment (MD -9.31, 95% CI -17.15 to -1.47; 118 participants; low-certainty evidence). There may be little or no difference in adverse events (OR 0.55, 95% CI 0.26 to 1.18; 120 participants; low-certainty evidence) AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS: The effects of interventions for the management of fatigue in IBD are uncertain. No firm conclusions regarding the efficacy and safety of interventions can be drawn. Further high-quality studies, with a larger number of participants, are required to assess the potential benefits and harms of therapies. Future studies should assess interventions specifically designed for fatigue management, targeted at selected IBD populations, and measure fatigue as the primary outcome.

Longitudinal Trajectory of Fatigue With Initiation of Biologic Therapy in Inflammatory Bowel Diseases: A Prospective Cohort Study

BACKGROUNDS AND AIMS

Fatigue is prevalent in patients with inflammatory bowel diseases [IBD]. Biologic therapy is effective in achieving symptomatic and endoscopic remission, but its impact on fatigue is less well established. Our aim is to define the longitudinal trajectory of fatigue over 1 year in patients initiating biologic therapy.

METHODS

This prospective cohort enrolled patients diagnosed with Crohn's disease [CD] or ulcerative colitis [UC] initiating biologic therapy with infliximab, adalimumab, ustekinumab, or vedolizumab. Fatigue was quantified using the seven-point fatigue question in the Short Inflammatory Bowel Disease Questionnaire [SIBDQ]. A score of ≤4 for this question was used to define fatigue. Multivariable regression models adjusting for relevant confounders examined the independent association between attaining clinical remission and resolution of fatigue.

RESULTS

Our study included 326 patients [206 CD, 120 UC] initiating biologic therapy [144 anti-tumour necrosis factor, 129 vedolizumab, 63 ustekinumab]. A total of 61% of the included patients reported significant fatigue at baseline. This was associated with female gender, depressive symptoms, active disease, and disturbed sleep [p < 0.001]. Among the 198 patients who were fatigued at therapy initiation, 86 [70%], 55 [63%], and 44 [61%] remained fatigued at Week 14, 30, and 54, respectively. At each of these time points, achieving clinical remission was associated with lower likelihood of persistent fatigue. However, despite achieving remission, 35%, 30%, and 28% of patients experienced persistent fatigue at Week 14, 30, and 54, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

Fatigue is common in IBD. Though biologic therapy improves fatigue parallel symptomatic improvement, a significant proportion continue to experience persistent fatigue up to 1 year.

Fatigue in Inflammatory Bowel Diseases: Etiologies and Management

Fatigue is a burdensome, multidimensional, and multifactorial symptom that is associated with a wide array of chronic illnesses, specifically occurring in nearly 50% of patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Although common, given its subjective nature, physicians often under-recognize and undertreat this debilitating symptom. There are multiple etiologies that can contribute to fatigue in patients with IBD, including disease activity, anemia, medications, psychosomatic symptoms, and alterations to the gut–brain axis. The management of fatigue in IBD can be challenging, as it is often times multifaceted. In this review, we summarize the available tools for the diagnosis and measurement of fatigue, discuss etiologies, and make recommendations for their management. We identify knowledge gaps for the workup and treatment of fatigue and propose an algorithm to aid physicians in the evaluation and management of fatigue in this unique population. However, future research is needed to address several areas of knowledge deficits and improve the management of fatigue in IBD.

The relationship between the symptom of fatigue and the functioning of patients with inflammatory bowel diseases after surgery

Introduction

The occurrence of fatigue in patients suffering from inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) is influenced by pain, frequent bowel movements, stress associated with symptoms and time of their occurrence reaction of surroundings, fear for their own health, sleep disturbances, side effects of pharmacological treatment, physical and mental exhaustion, hindered social contacts and difficulties at work.

Aim

To evaluate the fatigue and the assessment of functioning of patients with IBD, who were treated surgically.

Material and methods

To evaluate the functioning of patients, a Polish version of the Inflammatory Bowel Disease Questionnaire was used. To evaluate the occurrence of fatigue in studied subjects, a Polish version of the Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy – Fatigue Scale was used. The activity of disease was evaluated with the use of the Crohn’s Disease Activity Index for patients with Crohn’s disease (CD) and the Clinical Activity Index for patients with ulcerative colitis (UC).

Results

Before surgery, there was no significant difference between CD and UC patients, with regard to the mean FACIT-F (28.76 for CD and 28.76 for UC, p = 0.72). Also, after surgery, there was no significant difference between CD and UC patients, with regard to the mean FACIT-F (14.8 for CD and 16.0 for UC, p = 0.71). The IBD patients who underwent surgery for CD and UC had significantly lower FACIT-F scores compared to the patients before the surgery (p = 0.001 and p = 0.0001, respectively). IBD patients who underwent surgery for CD and UC had significantly better functioning and higher IBDQ total scores compared to the patients before the surgery.

Conclusions

Surgical treatment significantly reduces the fatigue symptom in patients with IBD. The severity of fatigue correlates with disease activity and functioning in the respective areas.

Fatigue in IBD: epidemiology, pathophysiology and management

Fatigue is an important clinical problem in patients with IBD, affecting nearly 50% of patients in clinical remission and > 80% of those with active disease. The resulting decrease in quality of life and impaired work productivity and functioning contribute markedly to the societal costs of fatigue. However, despite the burden and effects of fatigue, little is known about its aetiology and pathophysiology, which impairs our ability to effectively treat this symptom. Here, we review the theories behind the development of fatigue in IBD and the role of contributing factors, including nutritional deficiency, inflammation and altered metabolism. We also explore the potential role of the gut microbiome in mediating fatigue and other psychological symptoms through the gut-brain axis. We discuss the efficacy of nutrient repletion and various psychological and pharmacological interventions on relieving fatigue in patients with IBD and expand the discussion to non-IBD-related fatigue when evidence exists. Finally, we present a therapeutic strategy for the management of fatigue in IBD and call for further mechanistic and clinical research into this poorly studied symptom.

Evaluation of fatigue in inflammatory bowel disease - a useful tool in daily practice

Background: Fatigue is a common symptom reported in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients. It can be severe and modify the self-perception of disease. Objective: To evaluate the contribution of clinical and demographic factors to the level of fatigue in IBD patients. Methods: Patients consecutively observed in an outpatient IBD clinic during a 9-month period were studied. Demographic and clinical data were collected. Fatigue was assessed using the Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy-Fatigue (FACIT-F). A FACIT-F score <30 was considered as severe fatigue. Results: One hundred and five patients were evaluated. Of them, 57.1% had Crohn´s Disease (CD) and 42.9% had Ulcerative Colitis. Also 85.0% and 77.8% were in clinical remission, respectively. The mean FACIT-F score was 39.63 ± 9.67. Severe fatigue was observed in 17.1% of patients. Female gender and active CD were significantly associated with a severe level of fatigue (p = .05 and p = .04). There was no significant correlation between the level of fatigue (severe vs. non-severe) and type of IBD, hemoglobin, C-reactive protein, ferritin levels or previous surgeries. Patients under biological therapy had a significantly higher level of fatigue and a higher rate of previous hospitalizations (p = .02). Conclusions: Fatigue level is a simple and useful tool to evaluate the disease's impact in patients' life, and it should, therefore, be included in clinical practice. Biological therapy was associated to higher levels of fatigue. Future studies should evaluate the impact of therapy on the level of fatigue.

Unmet Needs in IBD: the Case of Fatigue

Fatigue is a highly prevalent but relatively ignored problem in IBD patients. It is one of the most burdensome symptoms to the patient with an important impact on the quality of life. Therefore, fatigue is a highly relevant patient-reported outcome that should be included not only in disease activity measurement but also in the endpoints of clinical trials in IBD. However, most of the currently available scoring systems to quantify fatigue are not specifically designed for patients with IBD and none of them has undergone a complete validation process for IBD-related fatigue. Fatigue is more prevalent in patients with active disease and may improve or disappear when remission is reached. Far more complex is the persistence or onset of fatigue in quiescent IBD which presents in up to 40% of the patients. In this subgroup of patients, fatigue can be related to smoldering systemic inflammation, a poor sleep quality, anemia, nutritional deficiencies, or comorbidities. In most cases, however, no direct cause can be identified. The lack of knowledge on the mechanisms that drive fatigue in IBD hamper the development of specific drugs to treat the condition and only psychological support can be offered to the patient. Rodent models are indispensable to increase our understanding of the molecular pathways that lead to fatigue in chronic intestinal inflammation, and to develop novel therapies.

Fatigue as an Extra-Intestinal Manifestation of Celiac Disease: A Systematic Review

Celiac disease may present with a range of different symptoms, including abdominal problems in a broader sense, iron deficiency and “constant tiredness”. All of these symptoms should consequently lead the clinicians to consider celiac disease as a potential etiopathogenetic cause. Although the pathophysiology of celiac disease is well documented, the actual mechanisms for disease presentation(s) are less well understood. We here address the topic of fatigue in celiac disease. A systematic literature search identified 298 papers of which five met the criteria for full evaluation. None of the reviewed papers were of high quality and had several methodological weaknesses. We conclude that there is an unmet need to study the contributing factors and management of fatigue in celiac disease.

Effect of chlorogenic acids on fatigue and sleep in healthy males: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover study

Chlorogenic acids (CGAs) are found in abundance in coffee beans and have numerous health benefits. This study investigated the effect of CGAs extracted from coffee beans on fatigue and sleep in healthy participants. This crossover study involved 16 men (aged 30-54 years) who were daytime workers with weekends off work. The participants were randomized into two groups: One group was given a placebo beverage, and the other was given an active beverage containing 300 mg of CGAs. The test beverages were consumed for 13 days starting on a Sunday. The evaluation criteria were feelings of fatigue and sleep quality, sleep-related indices recorded by an activity meter, and biomarkers. Feelings of fatigue and sleep-related indices during the first (first half of week 1) and second (second half of week 2) halves of the consumption periods were compared. Within the first half of week 1, no differences in feelings of fatigue were observed between the groups. However, during the second half of week 2, fatigue upon awakening and sleep quality in the active group were significantly improved compared with those in the placebo group. Sleep efficiency and total nocturnal awakening time were significantly deteriorated in the second half of week 2 compared with the first half of week 1 in the placebo group. Furthermore, significant differences in these indices were observed between the two groups in the second half of week 2. These results suggest that the daily consumption of CGA-containing beverages may improve fatigue upon awakening and sleep quality.

Fatigue and its associated factors in microscopic colitis

BACKGROUND

Fatigue is a well-recognized symptom in patients with inflammatory bowel disease and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), and has been associated with psychological comorbidity and impaired quality of life in both. However, features associated with fatigue in patients with microscopic colitis (MC) are less clear.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We conducted a cross-sectional survey of patients with a new diagnosis of MC including levels of anxiety, depression, somatization, quality of life, and IBS-type symptoms. Levels and impact of fatigue were assessed using the Inflammatory Bowel Disease Fatigue self-assessment scale. Mean scores were compared against various patient characteristics, and were also correlated with anxiety, depression, somatization, and quality-of-life scores.

RESULTS

In total, 129 patients with MC diagnosed between 2010 and 2015 returned completed postal questionnaires. Common histological subtypes were collagenous colitis (53.5%, n = 69) and lymphocytic colitis (38.8%, n = 50). Higher mean fatigue severity and impact scores were associated with the presence of irritable-bowel-syndrome-type symptoms, abnormal levels of anxiety and depression, and high levels of somatization (p < 0.0001 for all), but those reporting ongoing symptoms attributable to MC did not report significantly higher scores. There were significant positive correlations between total anxiety, depression, or somatization scores and fatigue severity and impact scores, and significant negative correlations with quality-of-life measures (p < 0.001 for all).

CONCLUSIONS

Fatigue in MC appears to be associated with reporting IBS-type symptoms, psychological comorbidity and impaired quality of life. It may therefore represent an important target for treatment.

Quality of Sleep and Coexistent Psychopathology Have Significant Impact on Fatigue Burden in Patients With Inflammatory Bowel Disease

BACKGROUND

Fatigue is common in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients and is associated with factors such as psychopathology, sleep quality, and disease activity.

GOAL

To investigate the combined role of all the above factors in the burden of fatigue among IBD patients.

STUDY

We conducted an observational study of adult patients enrolled in an IBD clinical research registry at a tertiary care clinic. Fatigue burden was defined by Item 1 of the Short-form IBD Questionnaire (SIBDQ), which is scored on a 7-point Likert scale. Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC) disease activity were measured with the Harvey-Bradshaw Index or the UC Activity Index, respectively. Labs were obtained to assess anemia, vitamin deficiencies, and inflammatory markers. Sleep quality was assessed using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). Use of psychotropic medications and narcotics was used as proxy measure of psychopathology and pain.

RESULTS

Among 685 IBD patients enrolled in the registry, 631 (238 UC, 393 CD) had a complete SIBDQ. High fatigue burden was found in 57.5% of patients (64.4% CD, 46.2% UC). Fatigue burden was significantly associated with sleep disturbance (PSQI), SIBDQ, and disease activity. CD patients had more fatigue burden than UC patients. Multivariate regression showed that poor quality of life, sleep disturbance, and being on a psychotropic medication are significantly associated with fatigue burden for both UC and CD.

CONCLUSION

Because fatigue is common in IBD patients, these findings suggest that attention to quality of sleep and psychopathology is as important as medical disease management.

Burden of Ulcerative Colitis on Functioning and Well-being: A Systematic Literature Review of the SF-36® Health Survey

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

This review is the first to evaluate the burden of ulcerative colitis [UC] on patients' quality of life by synthesizing data from studies comparing scores from the SF-36® Health Survey, a generic measure assessing eight quality-of-life domains, between UC patients and matched reference samples.

METHODS

A systematic review of the published literature identified articles reporting SF-36 domains or physical and mental component summary scores [PCS, MCS] from UC and reference samples. Burden of disease for each SF-36 domain was then summarized across studies by comparing weighted mean differences in scores between patient and reference samples with minimally important difference thresholds.

RESULTS

Thirty articles met pre-specified inclusion criteria. SF-36 scores were extracted from five samples of patients with active disease, 11 samples with a mixture of disease activity, five samples of patients in clinical remission, and 13 samples of patients following proctocolectomy with ileostomy or ileal pouch-anal anastomosis, along with respective reference samples. Clinically meaningful burden was observed in samples with active or mixed disease activity [deficits: PCS = 5.6, MCS = 5.5] on all SF-36 domains except Physical Functioning. No burden was observed in samples in remission or post-surgical patients [deficits: PCS = 0.8, MCS = 0.4] except for the General Health perception domain.

CONCLUSIONS

Patients with active UC experience a clinically meaningful burden of disease across most aspects of quality of life. Patients with inactive UC exhibit negligible disease burden and are comparable to the general population on most quality-of-life outcomes. Thus, treatments which effectively induce and maintain remission may restore physical and mental health status.

Systematic review and meta-analysis: assessment of factors affecting disability in inflammatory bowel disease and the reliability of the inflammatory bowel disease disability index

BACKGROUND

The Inflammatory Bowel Disease Disability Index (IBD-DI) has recently been developed for patients with Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC).

AIM

To assess the severity of disability and associated factors using the IBD-DI, and review the validity of the IBD-DI as a tool.

METHOD

Systematic review of cross-sectional studies. Patients included had UC or CD and were classified as active, in remission, or needing surgery, biological and/or steroid treatment. We included studies assessing disability using the IBD-DI and that were captured by electronic and manual searches (January 2017). The possibility of bias was evaluated with the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale.

RESULTS

Nine studies were included with 3167 patients. Comparatively, patients with active disease had higher disability rates than those in remission (SMD [CI95] = 1.49[1.11, 1.88], I²  = 94%, P<.01), while patients on biological treatment had lower disability rates than those receiving corticosteroid treatment (SMD [CI95] = -0.22[-0.36, -0.08], I²  = 0%, P<.01). Disease activity and unemployment were found to be associated factors. The IBD-DI scored "good" for internal consistency, "fair" to "excellent" for intra-rater reliability and "excellent" for inter-rater reliability. Construct validity was "moderately strong" to "very strong" and structural validity was found to be mainly unidimensional. The IBD-DI had excellent responsiveness, while its interpretability was only useful on a group level.

CONCLUSIONS

This systematic review and meta-analysis found a significant association between disease activity, treatment received and disability; although significant heterogeneity was found. The IBD-DI is reliable and valid, but further studies are needed to measure its interpretability.

Preventing disability in inflammatory bowel disease

Disability is a common worldwide health challenge and it has been increasing over the past 3 decades. The treatment paradigm has changed dramatically in inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs) from control of symptoms towards full control of disease (clinical and endoscopic remission) with the goal of preventing organ damage and disability. These aims are broadly similar to rheumatoid arthritis and multiple sclerosis. Since the 1990s, our attention has focused on quality of life in IBD, which is a subjective measure. However, as an objective end-point in clinical trials and population studies, measures of disability in IBD have been proposed. Disability is defined as '…any restriction or lack (resulting from an impairment) of ability to perform an activity in the manner or within the range considered normal for a human being.' Recently, after 10 years of an international collaborative effort with the World Health Organization (WHO), a disability index was developed and validated. This index ideally would assist with the assessment of disease progression in IBD. In this review, we will provide the evidence to support the use of disability in IBD patients, including experience from rheumatoid arthritis and multiple sclerosis. New treatment strategies, and validation studies that have underpinned the interest and quantification of disability in IBD, will be discussed.

Inflammatory bowel disease-specific health-related quality of life instruments: a systematic review of measurement properties

Background

This review aims to critically appraise and compare the measurement properties of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)-specific health-related quality of life instruments.

Methods

Medline, EMBASE and ISI Web of Knowledge were searched from their inception to May 2016. IBD-specific instruments for patients with Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis or IBD were enrolled. The basic characteristics and domains of the instruments were collected. The methodological quality of measurement properties and measurement properties of the instruments were assessed.

Results

Fifteen IBD-specific instruments were included, which included twelve instruments for adult IBD patients and three for paediatric IBD patients. All of the instruments were developed in North American and European countries. The following common domains were identified: IBD-related symptoms, physical, emotional and social domain. The methodological quality was satisfactory for content validity; fair in internal consistency, reliability, structural validity, hypotheses testing and criterion validity; and poor in measurement error, cross-cultural validity and responsiveness. For adult IBD patients, the IBDQ-32 and its short version (SIBDQ) had good measurement properties and were the most widely used worldwide. For paediatric IBD patients, the IMPACT-III had good measurement properties and had more translated versions.

Conclusions

Most methodological quality should be promoted, especially measurement error, cross-cultural validity and responsiveness. The IBDQ-32 was the most widely used instrument with good reliability and validity, followed by the SIBDQ and IMPACT-III. Further validation studies are necessary to support the use of other instruments.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (10.1186/s12955-017-0753-2) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Fatigue in out-patients with inflammatory bowel disease: Prevalence and predictive factors

Background and Aim

Fatigue is a common and bothersome symptom in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients. The study was aimed to determine the relationship of biological and psychological factors with IBD-related fatigue.

Methods

Consecutive clinically inactive IBD outpatients receiving immunosuppressants or biological drugs were enrolled between January and December 2013. Patients completed a Fatigue score (FACIT-F), various psychological, quality of life (IBDQ-9), and IBD activity scores. Biological parameters were assessed, including levels of interleukins (IL-5, IL-8 and IL-12) and micronutrients.

Results

We prospectively recruited 202 patients (28% ulcerative colitis and 72% Crohn’s disease) for the study. Fatigue measured by FACIT-F score was prevalent in the studied population (54%, 96/177) and higher than in the general population. In the univariate analysis no relation was found between IL levels or micronutrient deficiencies and fatigue. Fatigue was significantly related to female sex, Crohn’s disease, joint disorders, body mass index (BMI), psychological tests, thiopurine use, and anti-TNF treatment. All these variables were included in the multivariate analysis. Female sex (OR: 4.8), high BMI (OR:1.2) and higher depression rates (OR:1.2) were predictors of increased fatigue. High IBDQ-9 score (OR: 0.82) was significantly related to lower degrees of fatigue.

Conclusion

Fatigue was prevalent in quiescent IBD patients with moderate-to-severe disease. It was associated with high levels of depression, low quality of life, and female sex. No association was found with the other biological and psychological factors evaluated.

Impact of inflammatory bowel disease on daily life: an online survey by the Korean Association for the Study of Intestinal Diseases

BACKGROUND/AIMS

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a chronic disabling gastrointestinal disorder that diminishes the quality of life of the affected individuals. Limited data are available regarding the impact of IBD on the daily life of Koreans.

METHODS

Self-administered, computer-aided, internet-based questionnaires were distributed to members of a Korean patient organization for IBD from March to April 2013, by the Korean Association for the Study of Intestinal Diseases.

RESULTS

A total of 599 patients with IBD (387 with Crohn's disease [CD] and 212 with ulcerative colitis [UC]) were enrolled. The majority of patients (81%) expressed feelings of fatigue, weakness, and being worn out in their daily lives during times of flare; this percentage was reduced to 61% during remission. Respondents were absent from work or school for an average period of 18 days because of illness, within the first 6 months; the majority of respondents (64%) felt stressed about their absence. Forty-six percent of the respondents reported having received unfair comments at work, or having suffered discrimination. Forty-seven percent of the respondents felt that IBD had negatively affected their income and earnings. Compared with patients with UC, those with CD reported a more frequent negative impact of IBD on work, or more economic burden. More than half of the respondents (61%) reported that IBD had prevented them from making or keeping friends.

CONCLUSIONS

IBD significantly impacts daily life, including work, education, and social relationships. Treatment that addresses the full spectrum of life of a patient would be more effective.

Fatigue in patients with inflammatory bowel disease is associated with distinct differences in immune parameters

Background

Although it is well recognized that fatigue is an important problem in many of the quiescent inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients, it is unknown whether the immune status is different in fatigued versus non-fatigued patients. In this study, we contrasted various characteristics of the immune system in fatigued against non-fatigued patients with IBD in clinical remission.

Patients and methods

Patients with IBD in clinical remission were phenotyped according to the Montreal classification, and the checklist individual strength-fatigue (CIS-fatigue) was used to assess fatigue (CIS-fatigue ≥ 35). Flow cytometry on peripheral blood samples was used to investigate differences in leukocyte subsets. The expression of various cytokines was determined in stimulated whole blood and serum samples using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Differences between fatigued and non-fatigued patients with IBD were assessed.

Results

In total, 55 patients were included in the fatigue group (FG) and 29 patients in the non-fatigue group (NFG). No differences in demographic and clinical characteristics were observed between the groups. Flow cytometry data showed a significantly lower percentage of monocytes (p = 0.011) and a higher percentage of memory T-cells (p = 0.005) and neutrophils (p = 0.033) in the FG compared with the NFG. Whole blood stimulation showed increased TNF-α (p = 0.022) and IFN-γ (p = 0.047) in the FG. The median serum level was significantly higher for IL-12 (p < 0.001) and IL-10 (p = 0.005) and lower for IL-6 (p = 0.002) in the FG compared with NFG.

Conclusion

Significant differences in immune profile between fatigued and non-fatigued patients with IBD in clinical remission were found, which point out to a chronically active and Th1-skewed immune system in patients with fatigue. Whether these immune differences are directly involved in the fatigue complaints via immune-to-brain communication pathways remains to be determined. As such, further exploration of the underlying immune effects associated with fatigue is warranted to determine potential treatment options.

Psychological distress, iron deficiency, active disease and female gender are independent risk factors for fatigue in patients with ulcerative colitis

Background

Patients with ulcerative colitis often report fatigue.

Objectives

To investigate prevalence of and risk factors for fatigue in patients with ulcerative colitis with active disease and during deep remission.

Methods

In this cross-sectional study, disease activity was evaluated with endoscopy and calprotectin, and patients were classified as having active disease (n = 133) or being in deep remission (n = 155). Blood samples were analysed to assess anaemia, iron deficiency and systemic immune activity. Patients completed questionnaires to assess fatigue, psychological distress, gastrointestinal symptoms and quality of life.

Results

The prevalence of high fatigue (general fatigue ≥ 13, Multidimensional Fatigue Inventory) was 40% in the full study population. Among patients with high fatigue, female gender and iron deficiency were more prevalent, and these patients had more severe disease activity and reported higher levels of anxiety, depression and decreased quality of life compared with patients with no/mild fatigue. A logistic regression analysis identified probable psychiatric disorder (odds ratio (OR) (confidence interval) 6.1 (3.1-12.2)), iron deficiency (OR 2.5 (1.2-5.1)), active disease (OR 2.2 (1.2-3.9)) and female gender (OR 2.1 (1.1-3.7)) as independent risk factors for high fatigue. Similar results were found concerning psychological distress, gender and quality of life, but immune markers did not differ in patients in deep remission with high vs. no/mild fatigue.

Conclusions

Probable psychiatric disorder, iron deficiency, active disease and female gender are independent risk factors for high fatigue in patients with ulcerative colitis. Low-grade immune activity does not seem to be the cause of fatigue among patients in deep remission.

Effect of psychological therapy on disease activity, psychological comorbidity, and quality of life in inflammatory bowel disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Inflammatory bowel disease is associated with psychological comorbidity and impaired quality of life. Psychological comorbidity could affect the natural history of inflammatory bowel disease. Psychological therapies might therefore have beneficial effects on disease activity, mood, and quality of life in patients with inflammatory bowel disease. We did a systematic review and meta-analysis examining these issues.

METHODS

In this systematic review and meta-analysis, we searched MEDLINE, Embase, Embase Classic, PsychINFO, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials for articles published between 1947 and Sept 22, 2016. Randomised controlled trials (RCTs) recruiting patients with inflammatory bowel disease aged at least 16 years that compared psychological therapy with a control intervention or usual treatment were eligible. We pooled dichotomous data to obtain relative risks of induction of remission in active disease or prevention of relapse of quiescent disease, with 95% CIs. We pooled continuous data to estimate standardised mean differences in disease activity indices, anxiety, depression, perceived stress, and quality-of-life scores in patients dichotomised into those with clinically active or quiescent disease, with 95% CIs. We extracted data from published reports and contacted the original investigators of studies for which the required data were not available. We pooled all data using a random-effects model.

FINDINGS

The search identified 1824 studies, with 14 RCTs of 1196 patients eligible for inclusion. The relative risk of relapse of quiescent inflammatory bowel disease with psychological therapy versus control was 0·98 (95% CI 0·77-1·24; p=0·87; I²=50%; six trials; 518 patients). We observed a significant difference in depression scores (standardised mean difference -0·17 [-0·33 to -0·01]; p=0·04; I²=0%; seven trials; 605 patients) and quality of life (0·30 [0·07-0·52]; p=0·01; I²=42%; nine trials; 578 patients) with psychological therapy versus control at the end of therapy for patients with quiescent disease. However, these beneficial effects were lost at final point of follow-up (depression scores -0·11 [-0·27 to 0·05], p=0·17, I²=0%, eight trials, 593 patients; quality of life 0·15 [-0·05 to 0·34], p=0·14, I²=22%, ten trials, 577 patients). When we assessed the effect of individual physiological therapies on quality of life, only cognitive behavioural therapy had any significant beneficial effect (0·37 [0·02-0·72]). We noted no effect on disease activity indices or other psychological wellbeing scores when compared with control in patients with quiescent disease. Dichotomous data for induction of remission and continuous data for change in clinical disease activity indices, depression, anxiety, and perceived stress scores were only reported in one RCT of patients with active disease. Quality of life was assessed in two RCTs of patients with active disease, but was not significantly different between intervention and control groups (0·27 [-0·05 to 0·59]).

INTERPRETATION

Psychological therapies, and cognitive behavioural therapy in particular, might have small short-term beneficial effects on depression scores and quality of life in patients with inflammatory bowel disease. Further RCTs of these interventions in patients with coexistent psychological distress are required.

FUNDING

None.

The Use of Complementary and Alternative Medicine among Patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease Is Associated with Reduced Health-Related Quality of Life

Background and Aims. Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) use among patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is common. The aim of this study was to explore associations between CAM use and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) as well as identifying whether sociodemographic factors, disease activity, and personal resources (self-efficacy) influence HRQoL scores in users and nonusers of CAM. Methods. Measures included sociodemographic and disease-related data, the International-CAM Questionnaire, and General Self-Efficacy Scale. A univariate analysis of variance was used to assess the association between CAM use and HRQoL. The associations between clinical, demographic, and personal factors and HRQoL were examined through linear regression analyses. Results. CAM users had statistically significant lower SF-36 scores compared to nonusers and the background population. Nonusers scored significantly lower compared to the background population in two out of the eight SF-36 dimensions. Independent of CAM use, disease activity had a negative impact and self-efficacy had a positive impact on HRQoL. Conclusions. HRQoL in CAM users with IBD was significantly lower compared to nonusers and the background population. Independent of CAM use, disease activity was negatively associated with HRQoL. Self-efficacy had a positive impact on the mental health dimensions in both CAM users and nonusers.