Change in fatigue in patients with ulcerative colitis or Crohn's disease initiating biologic therapy

Edouard Louis; Peter Bossuyt; Arnaud Colard; Antoine Nakad; Didier Baert; Fazia Mana; Philip Caenepeel; Stijn Vanden Branden; Severine Vermeire; Francois D'Heygere; Beatrijs Strubbe; Anneline Cremer; Vida Setakhr; Filip Baert; Anne Vijverman; Jean-Louis Coenegrachts; Frederic Flamme; Anke Hantson; Jie Zhou; Geert Van Gassen

doi:10.1016/j.dld.2024.12.011

Change in fatigue in patients with ulcerative colitis or Crohn's disease initiating biologic therapy

Dig Liver Dis. 2025 Jan 8:S1590-8658(24)01130-7. doi: 10.1016/j.dld.2024.12.011. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Edouard Louis¹, Peter Bossuyt², Arnaud Colard³, Antoine Nakad⁴, Didier Baert⁵, Fazia Mana⁶, Philip Caenepeel⁷, Stijn Vanden Branden⁸, Severine Vermeire⁹, Francois D'Heygere¹⁰, Beatrijs Strubbe¹¹, Anneline Cremer¹², Vida Setakhr¹³, Filip Baert¹⁴, Anne Vijverman¹⁵, Jean-Louis Coenegrachts¹⁶, Frederic Flamme¹⁷, Anke Hantson¹⁸, Jie Zhou¹⁹, Geert Van Gassen¹⁸

Affiliations

¹ Department of Gastroenterology, University Hospital CHU of Liège, Liège, Belgium. Electronic address: [email protected].
² Imelda GI Clinical Research Center, Imelda General Hospital, Bonheiden, Belgium.
³ Department of Gastroenterology, Hospital CHC, Liège, Belgium.
⁴ Department of Gastroenterology, CHwapi Notre Dame, Tournai, Belgium.
⁵ Department of Gastroenterology, Maria Middelares Medical Centre, Ghent, Belgium.
⁶ Department of Gastroenterology, Clinique St. Jean, Brussels, Belgium.
⁷ Department of Gastroenterology, Ziekenhuis Oost Limburg, Genk, Belgium.
⁸ Department of Gastroenterology, Onze Lieve Vrouwziekenhuis, Aalst, Belgium.
⁹ Department of Gastroenterology, University Hospitals Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
¹⁰ Department of Gastroenterology, AZ Groeninge Hospital, Kortrijk, Belgium.
¹¹ Department of Gastroenterology, AZ St Lucas, Ghent, Belgium.
¹² Department of Gastroenterology, Hopital Universitaire Erasme, Brussels, Belgium.
¹³ Department of Gastroenterology, CHU UCL Namur site Sainte Elisabeth, Namur, Belgium.
¹⁴ Department of Gastroenterology, AZ Delta, Roeselare, Belgium.
¹⁵ Department of Gastroenterology, Hospital CHR de la Citadelle, Liège, Belgium.
¹⁶ Department of Gastroenterology, Jessa Ziekenhuis, Hasselt, Belgium.
¹⁷ Department of Gastroenterology, CHU Ambroise Paré, Mons, Belgium.
¹⁸ Takeda, Brussels, Belgium.
¹⁹ Takeda, Cambridge, MA, USA.

PMID: 39788858
DOI: 10.1016/j.dld.2024.12.011

Abstract

Background: Fatigue is common among patients with inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs) and is associated with decreased quality of life (QoL).

Aims: Describe fatigue evolution and identify factors associated with fatigue outcomes in patients with ulcerative colitis (UC) or Crohn's disease (CD) initiating biologic treatment.

Methods: Data from adult Belgian patients with UC or CD enrolled in a prospective real-world study were utilized. Fatigue and QoL were assessed using the Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy-Fatigue (FACIT-F) and the Short Inflammatory Bowel Disease Questionnaire, respectively. Factors associated with fatigue outcomes were assessed using multivariate regression.

Results: 465 patients were included: 174 with UC and 291 with CD. Average FACIT-F scores indicated improvements in fatigue after 6 months, before stabilizing. A higher probability of fatigue disappearance was associated with clinical remission and was more likely in patients with UC than CD. Patients achieving clinical remission had lower probability of fatigue. Patients with fatigue improvements experienced greater QoL improvements than patients with fatigue persistence.

Conclusions: Real-world findings suggest fatigue partly improves in the first 6 months of biologic treatment. Clinical remission was associated with greater probability of fatigue disappearance and lower likelihood of fatigue persistence. Further research into factors associated with fatigue in patients with IBD is warranted.

Keywords: Biologic treatment; Clinical remission; Fatigue; Inflammatory bowel disease.