Study Highlights Fatigue Experienced by Psoriasis Patients

Fatigue was higher in those with psoriatic arthritis than those with psoriasis alone.

A new analysis in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology sought to tease out drivers of fatigue in patients with psoriasis (PsO) and psoriatic arthritis (PsA).

Researchers for the study examined various factors contributing to fatigue in these individuals using the Multidimensional Fatigue Inventory-20 (MFI-20) questionnaire to assess fatigue in both PsO patients and a control group. Additionally, PsO patients reported joint pain intensity, pruritus, skin pain, and sleep problems using a numerical rating scale (NRS). The authors then employed linear regression models to analyze the data.

The study included 2,741 adults with PsO, of which 593 also had PsA, and 3,788 controls. According to the results of the analysis, fatigue was significantly higher in patients with PsA (β=5.22; 95%CI 3.55-6.90) compared to those with PsO alone (β=2.10; 95%CI 0.96-3.25), and both groups experienced more fatigue compared to the general population. Furthermore, among PsO patients with or without PsA, increasing joint pain intensity was associated with higher levels of overall fatigue (β=2.23 [95%CI 2.03-2.44] for each 1-point increase in joint pain NRS).

The lack of information on the effects of pharmacotherapy was cited as a study limitation. 

"These findings highlight the importance of a symptom-based approach when treating psoriasis, rather than focusing on objective severity measures alone," the study authors wrote. 

Source: Nymand L, et al. Characteristics and drivers of fatigue in patients with psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis – a cross sectional study. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2024;doi.org/10.1016/j.jaad.2024.02.026.