Evaluating the Role of Disease Duration in Fatigue and Quality of Life Among Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients

Objective: The duration of a disease plays a critical role in understanding its progression and impact on an individual's quality of life and symptom severity. The aim was to investigate the impact of disease duration on fatigue and quality of life in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Material and Methods: The study analyzed 92 (female:71, male:21) patients with RA. Clinical and demographic characteristics of patients were recorded. Disease activity (Disease Activity Score in 28 joints with CRP (DAS28-CRP)), fatigue (Bristol Rheumatoid Arthritis Fatigue-Multidimensional Questionnaire (BRAF-MDQ)), and quality of life (Short Form-36 questionnaire (SF-36)) were evaluated in the study. RA patients were categorized into two groups based on the disease duration: duration of the disease 10 years. Results: Significant differences were demonstrated in SF-36 subdomains of pain (p=0.022), general health (p=0.028), and health change (p=0.020). However, BRAF-MDQ scores and its subdomains showed no significant differences across groups. Conclusion: While the duration of RA significantly affects certain aspects of quality of life such as pain and general health, it does not appear to influence fatigue levels. This highlights the persistent and debilitating nature of fatigue in RA patients regardless of disease duration, emphasizing the need for targeted interventions to address this symptom.