Via practica 4/2017

Impact of fatigue on quality of life of patients with multiple sclerosis

Introduction: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic neurological disease leading to a wide spectrum of clinical disabilities. MS has a significant functional impact on the patient and limits patient’s ability to carry out normal activities. The disease may lead to a wide spectrum of physical and non-physical disabilities among young and middle-aged adults. Fatigue is one of the most common symptoms of multiple sclerosis. Objective: Our study focused on the impact of fatigue on quality of life of patients with MS in relation to socio-demographic indicators and clinical parameters. Methods: We collected data from 223 patients from eastern Slovakia (67 % females mean age 38.9 ± 10.8 years, mean disease duration 5.8 ± 4.2 years). Kurtzke’s Expanded Disability Status Scale was used to assess functional disability. Fatigue was assessed by Multidimensional fatigue inventory (MFI-20). HRQoL was assessed using the Physical and Mental Component Summary (PCS, MCS) of the Short Form-36 Health Survey (SF-36). Multiple linear regressions were used to analyze the data. Conclusion: Results of regression analysis confirmed, that fatigue significantly affects physical and even more mental components of quality of life.

Keywords: multiple sclerosis, fatigue, health related quality of life (HRQ), functional status, EDSS, neurological impairment