A comparison of fatigue correlates in rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis: disparity in associations with disability, anxiety and sleep disturbance

Abstract

Fatigue is common and severe in both RA and OA. In RA, fatigue had no significant association with pain, disease activity, disability or erosions, but was associated with depression and anxiety. The disparity in correlates indicates that generalizing the experience of fatigue between OA and RA is not appropriate. Fatigue is an important domain in the assessment of disease impact.