Int J Immunopathol Pharmacol. 2011 Jul-Sep;24(3):673-81.
An Italian study on health-related quality of life and fatigue in
patients with chronic fatigue syndrome and patients with chronic HCV
virus infection: similarities and differences.
Racciatti D, Gorgoretti V, Sepede G, Gambi F, Pizzigallo E.
SourceClinic of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine and Aging,
University of Chieti, Italy.
Abstract
Severe fatigue and a significantly reduced health-related quality of
life (HRQoL) have been described in patients with chronic fatigue
syndrome (CFS) in comparison with patients affected by chronic
hepatitis C (CHC) and other chronic medical conditions. We examined 39
CFS and 49 CHC patients to explore whether fatigue and a poor HRQoL
represent a greater medical and social problem in CFS than in CHC. The
severity of fatigue and the HRQoL were assessed using the Fatigue
Impact Scale (FIS) and the Health Status Questionnaire Short Form-36
(SF-36), respectively. The statistical analysis showed both a higher
score of fatigue and a lower HRQoL in CFS than in CHC patients.
Furthermore, in CHC patients the FIS evaluation showed a significantly
reduced score of the psychosocial domain in comparison with the other
domains. Multivariate linear regression analysis revealed female
gender as the most important positive variable in chronic hepatitis C
patients for total score of FIS. In conclusion, CFS was associated
with a severe and disabling fatigue and an impaired HRQOL. In
particular, both fatigue and all aspects of HRQOL perceived by CFS
patients were significantly impaired compared to CHC patients.
Consequently, management of fatigue should be considered a priority in
order to improve HRQOL in CFS patients. In CHC patients the impact of
fatigue on HRQoL was less significant than in CFS patients, even
though the FIS evaluation showed a significant impairment of the
psychosocial domain.
PMID:21978699[PubMed - in process]
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