Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39350299›Full record

ArticleBMC rheumatology2024

The potential role of fatigue in difficult-to-treat rheumatoid arthritis.

Leticia Leon, Dalifer Freites-Núñez, Alfredo Madrid, María Rodriguez-Mariblanca, Benjamín Fernandez-Gutierrez, Lydia Abasolo

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in BMC rheumatology, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Review
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Leticia LeonMusculoskeletal Pathology Group, Rheumatology Department, IdISSC, Hospital Clínico San Carlos, Calle Martín Lagos, s/n, Madrid, Spain. lleon@salud.madrid.org.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7142-0545
Dalifer Freites-NúñezMusculoskeletal Pathology Group, Rheumatology Department, IdISSC, Hospital Clínico San Carlos, Calle Martín Lagos, s/n, Madrid, Spain.
Alfredo MadridMusculoskeletal Pathology Group, Rheumatology Department, IdISSC, Hospital Clínico San Carlos, Calle Martín Lagos, s/n, Madrid, Spain.
María Rodriguez-MariblancaMusculoskeletal Pathology Group, Rheumatology Department, IdISSC, Hospital Clínico San Carlos, Calle Martín Lagos, s/n, Madrid, Spain.
Benjamín Fernandez-GutierrezMusculoskeletal Pathology Group, Rheumatology Department, IdISSC, Hospital Clínico San Carlos, Calle Martín Lagos, s/n, Madrid, Spain.
Lydia AbasoloMusculoskeletal Pathology Group, Rheumatology Department, IdISSC, Hospital Clínico San Carlos, Calle Martín Lagos, s/n, Madrid, Spain.

Funding

Instituto de Investigación Sociosanitaria del Hospital Clínico San Carlos GENERAR Investigación Responsable 2023 ProjectRed de Enfermedades Inflamatorias (REI) RD21/0002/0001
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectivesA subset of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) who remains symptomatic after failing to multiple drugs are deemed to have "difficult-to-treat RA" (D2T RA). Fatigue is a burdensome symptom for RA patients, hindering their improvement. Our purpose was to evaluate the role of fatigue in D2T RA.

methodsThis cross-sectional study included rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients between 2018 and 2022, treated with biological agents or targeted synthetic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs. D2T RA was defined attending EULAR criteria. Independent variable was fatigue (dimensions and impact) assessed by the Bristol Rheumatoid Arthritis Fatigue Multidimensional Questionnaire and Numerical Rating Scales. Covariables: sociodemographic, clinical and treatment. To identify factors independently associated to D2T RA, multivariable logistic regression was run.

resultsThe study included 145 patients and 38 (26.21%) developed D2T RA. D2T RA group were older, with more comorbidity and disability. D2T RA patients scored higher for global fatigue (p = 0.003), and almost for all their dimensions except for cognitive fatigue (p = 0.06) and fatigue coping (p = 0.07). Females with D2T RA showed more fatigue than those with non-D2T RA. In the adjusted models, all fatigue dimensions were associated with D2T RA: global fatigue RA (OR: 1.03; p = 0.007), physical (OR: 1.09; p = 0.008), living (OR: 1.09; p = 0.016), cognitive (OR: 1.1; p = 0.046) and emotional (OR: 1.18; p = 0.012).

conclusionsDespite the absence of an explicit mention of fatigue in the definition of D2T RA, it appears to be associated to this outcome. Fatigue should be evaluated in a multidimensional perspective, and gender-specific differences should be considered.

Indexed as

Biological Agents, Targeted Synthetic DMARDsFatigueRheumatoid arthritis

Identifiers

PMID39350299
PMCPMC11440696

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.