Fatigue in Patients with Multiple Sclerosis in Tehran in 1398

Abstract

Background & Aims: The prevalence of multiple sclerosis (MS) has been on the rise, especially among the youth in Iran. MS is more common in the individuals in their 20s and 40s, while women are also twice as likely to develop MS compared to men. Statistics suggest that there are 2.5 million MS patients worldwide, and this figure has been reported to be 15-30 cases per 100,000 in Iran. According to the Iranian MS Association, approximately 50,000 Iranians have MS, including 9,000 registered cases, and the rate is constantly increasing. Some of the main symptoms of MS are neurological, sensory, motor, and balance disorders, and fatigue is considered to be the most debilitating and common symptom; about one-third of MS patients report fatigue within the first three years of the disease diagnosis. Fatigue is an early symptom in 40% of MS patients, and 38% experience fatigue as the first diagnostic symptom. Extensive research has assessed the correlations between MS and various demographic variables, including individual factors (age, gender, education level), familial factors (family history of the disease), social factors (support of social institutions), economic factors (monthly income), emotional factors (family support), and disease-related factors (age at onset, length of hospital stay, medication). The present study aimed to measure fatigue in a large population of MS patients and determine its association with demographic variables. Materials & Methods: This correlational study was conducted on 296 MS patients referring to the Iranian MS Association in Tehran, Iran during June-August 2019 via computation within a specific period. Fatigue was measured using Krupp fatigue intensity (1989), which has been used in extensive medical research. The minimum and maximum possible scores in this scale are nine and 63, respectively. Scores 9-18 indicate low fatigue, scores 18-45 indicate moderate fatigue, and scores above 45 show high fatigue. In Iran, Shahvaroughi Farahani et a key role in adapting to the disease, taking measures to reduce fatigue, adherence to the treatment regimen, and reducing the number of hospitalizations in MS patients.