In a press release from the European Alliance of Associations for Rheumatology (EULAR), the organization offered new recommendations on treating fatigue in patients with inflammatory rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases. Although the symptom is common in this patient population, recommendations on managing fatigue have not previously existed, which may make it challenging for health-care professionals to deliver quality care. In two new systematic reviews published by Dures et al in the Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases, a multidisciplinary taskforce comprised of 26 members from 14 European countries examined new evidence. The taskforce agreed on four new overarching principles and four recommendations—including that the biological, psychological, and social factors of fatigue should inform care; fatigue monitoring and treatment options should be offered to all patients with inflammatory rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases; patients should be treated with tailored physical activity regimens, psychoeducational interventions, and/or immunomodulatory treatment initiation or changes; and treatment should be personalized on the basis of each patient’s individual needs and preferences, disease activity, comorbidities, and psychosocial factors.
December 28, 2023