Fatigue is a considered as a universal symptom of many chronic diseases, however, it is still underestimated as a factor in determining quality of life (QOL). Clinicians generally assess subjective measures of fatigue. The author of the study utilized well-validated instruments to evaluate fatigue as a predictor of QOL in women with primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC), an autoimmune, chronic liver disease.

The study included 81women with PBC who completed a survey that consisted of measures of fatigue (Fatigue Impact Scale) and QOL (SF-36) along with demographic variables (age, education) and medical information (symptoms, stage of illness, and time since diagnosis). The results obtained from QOL for the sample were contrasted with those of normal population. Bivariate and multivariate analyses were performed to determine contributors causing variations in QOL.

The results declared that QOL for women with PBC was remarkably reduced in contrast to normal population. Fatigue was identified as a primary predictor of QOL, including all 8 QOL scales and the 2 summary scales, when all variables with bivariate significance in regard to QOL were used in multivariate analyses. Regression results, dominated by fatigue, signified 25-59% of the variance in QOL.

To conclude, fatigue has significant impact on every aspects of life including physical, social, emotional, and psychological for women with PBC. The findings of the study resulted in recommendations for health care professionals to evaluate and manage fatigue in women with PBC to alleviate its effects on QOL.

Source: Fatigue as a major predictor of quality of life in women with autoimmune liver disease: the case of primary biliary cirrhosis. Womens Health Issues. 2008 Jul-Aug;18(4):336-42.