{"id":1093,"date":"2023-12-11T17:22:03","date_gmt":"2023-12-11T17:22:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.bmj.com\/rheumsummaries\/?p=1093"},"modified":"2024-01-31T10:38:16","modified_gmt":"2024-01-31T10:38:16","slug":"new-recommendations-for-fatigue-in-rmds","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.bmj.com\/rheumsummaries\/2023\/12\/11\/new-recommendations-for-fatigue-in-rmds\/","title":{"rendered":"New: Recommendations for fatigue in RMDs"},"content":{"rendered":"

This is the lay version of the EULAR recommendations for managing fatigue in people with inflammatory\u00a0 rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases. The original publication can be downloaded from the EULAR\u00a0 website: www.eular.org.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Dures E, Fariso\u011fullar\u0131 B, Santos EJF, et al2023 EULAR recommendations for the management of fatigue in <\/span>\u00a0<\/span>people with inflammatory rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases <\/span>\u00a0<\/span>Published Online First: 22 November 2023. doi: 10.1136\/ard-2023-224514<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

Introduction
\n<\/b>EULAR \u2013 the European Alliance of Associations for Rheumatology \u2013 gives advice to health professionals and\u00a0 patients about the best way to treat and manage diseases. In 2023, EULAR produced new recommendations\u00a0 on how to manage fatigue that affects people with an inflammatory rheumatic and musculoskeletal disease\u00a0 (shortened to I-RMD).\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Doctors, nurses, other health professionals (such as physiotherapists, occupational therapists, and\u00a0 psychologists), and people with personal experience of an I-RMD and fatigue worked together to develop these\u00a0 recommendations.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

What do we already know?
\n<\/b>There are many different types of I-RMD, such as rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, and ankylosing\u00a0 spondylitis \u2013 as well as lupus, gout, and systemic sclerosis. Although there are differences between I-RMD, there are also some common features. These include an autoimmune component, where inflammation causes\u00a0 swelling or pain in the joints and muscles.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Fatigue is common in people with an I-RMD. This extreme tiredness is recognised as one of the most\u00a0 challenging symptoms to manage. Unfortunately, the underlying causes are not clear. It is likely that they are\u00a0 not the same for everybody and that they can change overtime. There is no cure for fatigue, but we do have\u00a0 evidence for some approaches that can help. We have examined this evidence in-depth and used it to produce\u00a0 recommendations for how to support people with I-RMD and fatigue.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

What do the recommendations say?
\n<\/b>In total, there are 4 overarching principles (general points) and 4 recommendations (specific points). The\u00a0 principles say that healthcare professionals should be aware that fatigue is related to biological, psychological, and social factors. Health professionals should monitor patients\u2019 fatigue and offer them management options.\u00a0 . Decisions about which options to take should be shared between patients and health professionals. Finally,\u00a0 fatigue management of should be based on each patient\u2019s needs and preferences. Issues to consider include\u00a0 patients\u2019 disease activity, any other health conditions they have, and individual psychosocial or contextual\u00a0 factors.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Each recommendation is based on the best current knowledge from studies of scientific evidence or expert\u00a0 opinion. The more stars a recommendation has, the stronger the evidence is. However, recommendations with limited scientific evidence may be important because the experts can have a strong opinion based on\u00a0 experience even when the published evidence may be lacking.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

One star (*) means it is a recommendation with limited scientific evidence.
\n<\/span>Two stars (**) means it is a recommendation with some scientific evidence.
\n<\/span>Three stars (***) means it is a recommendation with quite a lot of scientific evidence.
\n<\/span>Four stars (****) means it is a recommendation supported with a lot of scientific evidence.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Recommendations<\/b><\/p>\n