Best practice & research. Clinical rheumatology
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Best Pract Res Clin Rheumatol · Jun 2013
ReviewFatigue, health-related quality of life and other patient-reported outcomes in systemic lupus erythematosus.
This chapter aims to evaluate current knowledge of the burden of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) on individual patients, with a particular focus on health-related quality of life (HRQoL), activities of daily living (ADLs), individual symptoms, such as fatigue and pain, work disability and employment. ⋯ The present literature analysis showed that SLE has a considerable impact on the HRQoL of patients and their ability to carry out normal daily activities, resulting in a high prevalence of disability. The HRQoL of patients with SLE is consistently lower than that of matched healthy control subjects or patients with other chronic diseases. Predictors of poor HRQoL in patients with SLE include older age, fatigue and the presence of co-morbid neurological or psychiatric disorders, particularly depression or anxiety. Conversely, clinical measures of disease activity and organ damage are poor indicators of patients' HRQoL. Even though current evidence gives an insight into the HRQoL in patients with SLE, there are still many areas where results need to be confirmed or clarified and therefore there is the need to conduct further studies including trials with HRQoL as a primary objective.