Understanding the Burden of Psoriatic Arthritis Fatigue

As we mark the 2022 American College of Rheumatology (ACR) Convergence, I’m looking forward to sharing new research and seeing the advances achieved in our efforts to find new solutions for patients living with rheumatic diseases. In particular, we are presenting new data on psoriatic arthritis (PsA) a disease which poses unique challenges to those who live with it.

PsA is highly variable, both in the type and severity of skin and arthritis symptoms patients experience. Its symptoms include pain, stiffness and swelling in and around the joints in addition to skin lesions.1 After pain, however, fatigue is rated by patients as the most important symptom associated with PsA.2 A multinational real-world study suggests that up to 63 percent of people with PsA suffer from moderate to severe fatigue.3 Despite its prevalence, fatigue often goes underestimated and underreported.4

A portrait of fatigue in everyday life, and the workplace

Everyday tasks can be a struggle for people with active PsA, as measured by health-related quality of life (HRQoL) factors, and the physical disability and pain associated with PsA can increase patients’ feelings of fatigue.4 Further, because psoriatic skin lesions can cause pain and itching, they can lead to sleep disorders, further exacerbating fatigue.5 Severe fatigue has been described by patients as overwhelming and unlike normal tiredness, permeating every aspect of their lives.3 The more severe a patient’s fatigue, the worse reported clinical, quality of life, work productivity, and disability outcomes are.

The impact of PsA-related fatigue on the workplace is also significant. Unemployment and work impairment (including time away from work or reduced effectiveness) affects up to half of people with PsA. A survey by the National Psoriasis Foundation [Tag] found 49 percent of respondents routinely missed work due to PsO or PsA, and 31 percent missed more than 10 workdays per month. More severe rates of fatigue have also been associated with higher levels of unemployment or retirement than moderate and low fatigue.3

Managing the varied and complex symptoms of PsA

The burden of PsA on a patient’s QoL makes the task of effectively managing the debilitating symptoms of this disease all the more urgent and challenging, and underlies our commitment to developing therapies that treat the whole patient.  

I’m proud to share that this weekend, #MyCompany will present new research at the 2022 American College of Rheumatology (ACR) Convergence meeting in Philadelphia, PA, on the positive impact that early response to our therapy has shown on HRQoL and fatigue measures in patients with active PsA.

At Janssen Immunology, we recognize the debilitating physical and psychological effects of psoriatic disease on patients and their loved ones,1,6,7 and we’re committed to expanding the overall disease knowledge to understand how this complex disease affects patients to help improve upon their quality of life. Whether through the development of new treatments options or by optimizing our existing therapies to deliver long-term treatment solutions that can address the many burdens patients experience throughout their journey with the disease, we are dedicated to improving the lives of people with PsA.

If you are interested in developing innovative therapies for patients with immune-mediated inflammatory diseases, I invite you to explore our career opportunities: https://bit.ly/2WKDJLd

#ACR22 #Rheumatology #PsoriaticArthritis #Fatigue

References

1.      Belasco, J., & Wei, N. Psoriatic Arthritis: What is Happening at the Joint? Rheumatol Ther, 2019: 6(3), 305–315. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40744-019-0159-1.

2.      Gudu T, et al. Fatigue in psoriatic arthritis - a cross-sectional study of 246 patients from 13 countries. Joint Bone Spine. 2016 Jul;83(4):439-43. doi: 10.1016/j.jbspin.2015.07.017. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27055727/

3.      Conaghan, P.G., et al. Relationship of pain and fatigue with health-related quality of life and work in patients with psoriatic arthritis on TNFi: results of a multi-national real-world study. RMD Open 2020;6:e001240. https://doi.org/10.1136/rmdopen-2020-001240.

4.      Gossec, L., et al. Effect of Fatigue on Health-Related Quality of Life and Work Productivity in Psoriatic Arthritis: Findings From a Real-World Survey. J Rheumatol. 2022 Jul 15:jrheum.211288. https://doi.org/10.3899/jrheum.211288. 

5.      Krajewska-Włodarczyk M, Owczarczyk-Saczonek A, Placek W. Fatigue - an underestimated symptom in psoriatic arthritis. Reumatologia. 2017;55(3):125-130. doi:10.5114/reum.2017.68911. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5534506/

6.      Haddad, A., Zisman, D. Comorbidities in Patients with Psoriatic Arthritis. Rambam Maimonides Med J 2017;8(1):e0004. https://doi.org/10.5041/RMMJ.10279.

7.      Husted, J.A., et al. Occurrence and correlates of fatigue in psoriatic arthritis. Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases, 2008:68(10), 1553–1558. https://doi.org/10.1136/ard.2008.098202