Qualitative Patient Interview Study in Patients with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus to Assess Patient Perception of Fatigue and Skin-Related Symptoms

    May 2025 in “ The Journal of Rheumatology ”
    Joseph F. Merola, Victoria P. Werth, Jiyoon Choi, Brandon Becker, Teresa Edwards, Coburn Hobar, Samantha Pomponi, Vibeke Strand
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    TLDR People with lupus find fatigue and skin issues very bothersome, and even small improvements are meaningful.
    This qualitative study interviewed 18 individuals with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) to assess their perceptions of fatigue and skin-related symptoms. The participants, predominantly female with a mean age of 51.7 years, reported that SLE-related fatigue was characterized by exhaustion that sleep does not alleviate, and skin symptoms such as rash/redness and alopecia were significant concerns. The study found that even a 1-point improvement in fatigue and skin symptoms on the Patient Global Impression of Severity (PGIS) scale was considered meaningful by most participants. These findings support the content validity of the FACIT-Fatigue scale in SLE and highlight the need for new treatments to address these symptoms.
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