Laurent Misery, Jason Shourick, Charles Taïeb
DOI: 10.2340/00015555-3694

The aim of this study was to examine the prevalence and nature of fatigue in patients with skin diseases by comparison with controls, using a survey of a large representative sample of the French population (n = 2,502). Of the respondents, 659 reported having a skin disease and 1,843 did not. Quality of life was decreased in people with skin diseases compared with controls, while levels of stress and sleep deprivation were higher in people with skin diseases. Level of fatigue was higher in people with skin diseases than in controls. The relative risk of fatigue was 4.71 (3.44–5.98, p < 0.001). Mediation analysis, adjusted according to sex, age and each skin disease, showed that the effects of skin diseases on fatigue were more commonly direct than indirect. To our knowledge, this is the first study to demonstrate that patients with skin diseases experience fatigue more frequently and more intensely. Hence, fatigue should be used as a new patient-related outcome in clinical trials.

To date, there has been little research regarding fatigue in patients with skin diseases. This study, based on a survey of the French population, found that fatigue is almost 5 times more frequent in patients with skin diseases. Statistical analysis suggests that both direct and indirect effects could explain the fatigue. Fatigue should be taken into account when treating patients with skin diseases.