July 18, 2019

A new study published in The British Journal of Dermatology provides evidence that fatigue is a key symptom, not only of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) but also of skin lupus (cutaneous lupus) as well as other autoimmune diseases affecting the skin.

Led by an LRA-funded researcher Victoria Werth, MD, the study team compared data from people with: no disease, SLE,  cutaneous lupus, amyopathic dermatomyositis (ADM) and autoimmune blistering diseases (AIBD).

Researchers used a standard measurement tool to analyze range of “vitality” and the percentage of patients with clinically significant fatigue.  Greater fatigue was reported among all groups with autoimmune disease, particularly those with SLE.  These groups also showed more clinically significant fatigue: 44.2% of those with SLE and 25.2% of those with cutaneous lupus reported significant fatigue compared with 2% of those in the healthy control group with o disease.

Investigators concluded, “These findings demonstrate that patients with skin-limited autoimmune disease experience more fatigue than controls. Fatigue is an important symptom that negatively affects quality of life for patients. It should be addressed by clinicians and measured in future clinical trials.”