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Cited by 89Inflammatory Bowel DiseaseRheumatoid Arthritis Research and TherapiesOcular Diseases and Behçet’s Syndrome

Interventions for fatigue in inflammatory bowel disease

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Farrell, Dawn, Artom, Micol, Czuber-Dochan, Wladyslawa, Jelsness-Jørgensen, Lars P, Norton, Christine, Savage, Eileen·2020·Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews
DOI 10.1002/14651858.cd012005.pub2PMC PMC7161727
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Abstract

BACKGROUND: Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is an umbrella term used to describe a group of chronic, progressive inflammatory disorders of the digestive tract. Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis are the two main types. Fatigue is a common, debilitating and burdensome symptom experienced by individuals with IBD. The subjective, complex nature of fatigue can often hamper its management. The efficacy and safety of pharmacological or non-pharmacological treatments for fatigue in IBD is not yet established through systematic review of studies. OBJECTIVES: To assess the efficacy and safety of pharmacological and non-pharmacological interventions for managing fatigue in IBD compared to no treatment, placebo or active comparator. SEARCH METHODS: A systematic search of the databases Embase, MEDLINE, Cochrane Library, CINAHL, PsycINFO was undertaken from inception to July 2018. A top-up search was run in October 2019. We also searched the Cochrane IBD Group Specialized Register, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, ongoing trials and research registers, conference abstracts and reference lists for potentially eligible studies. SELECTION CRITERIA: Randomised controlled trials of pharmacological and non-pharmacological interventions in children or adults with IBD, where fatigue was assessed as a primary or secondary outcome using a generic or disease-specific fatigue measure, a subscale of a larger quality of life scale or as a single-item measure, were included. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: Two authors independently screened search results and four authors extracted and assessed bias independently using the Cochrane 'Risk of bias' tool. The primary outcome was fatigue and the secondary outcomes included quality of life, adverse events (AEs), serious AEs and withdrawal due to AEs. Standard methodological procedures were used. MAIN RESULTS: We included 14 studies (3741 participants): nine trials of pharmacological interventions and five trials of non-pharmacological interventions. Thirty ongoing studies were identified, and five studies are awaiting classification. Data on fatigue were available from nine trials (1344 participants). In only four trials was managing fatigue the primary intention of the intervention (electroacupuncture, physical activity advice, cognitive behavioural therapy and solution-focused therapy). Electroacupuncture Fatigue was measured with Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy - Fatigue (FACIT-F) (scores range from 0 to 52). The FACIT-F score at week eight was 8.00 points higher (better) in participants receiving electroacupuncture compared with no treatment (mean difference (MD) 8.00, 95% CI 6.45 to 9.55; 1 RCT; 27 participants; low-certainty evidence). Results at week 16 could not be calculated. FACIT-F scores were also higher with electroacupuncture compared to sham electroacupuncture at week eight (MD 5.10, 95% CI 3.49 to 6.71; 1 RCT; 30 participants; low-certainty evidence) but not at week 16 (MD 2.60, 95% CI 0.74 to 4.46; 1 RCT; 30 participants; low-certainty evidence). No adverse events were reported, except for one adverse event in the sham electroacupuncture group. Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) and solution-focused therapy Compared with a fatigue information leaflet, the effects of CBT on fatigue are very uncertain (Inflammatory Bowel Disease-Fatigue (IBD-F) section I: MD -2.16, 95% CI -6.13 to 1.81; IBD-F section II: MD -21.62, 95% CI -45.02 to 1.78; 1 RCT, 18 participants, very low-certainty evidence). The efficacy of solution-focused therapy on fatigue is also very uncertain, because standard summary data were not reported (1 RCT, 98 participants). Physical activity advice One 2 x 2 factorial trial (45 participants) found physical activity advice may reduce fatigue but the evidence is very uncertain. At week 12, compared to a control group receiving no physical activity advice plus omega 3 capsules, FACIT-F scores were higher (better) in the physical activity advice plus omega 3 group (FACIT-F MD 6.40, 95% CI -1.80 to 14.60, very low-certainty evidence) and the physical activity advice plus placebo group (FACIT-F MD 9.00, 95% CI 1.64 to 16.36, very low-certainty evidence). Adverse events were predominantly gastrointestinal and similar across physical activity groups, although more adverse events were reported in the no physical activity advice plus omega 3 group. Pharmacological interventions Compared with placebo, adalimumab 40 mg, administered every other week ('eow') (only for those known to respond to adalimumab induction therapy), may reduce fatigue in patients with moderately-to-severely active Crohn's disease, but the evidence is very uncertain (FACIT-F MD 4.30, 95% CI 1.75 to 6.85; very low-certainty evidence). The adalimumab 40 mg eow group was less likely to experience serious adverse events (OR 0.56, 95% CI 0.33 to 0.96; 521 participants; moderate-certainty evidence) and withdrawal due to adverse events (OR 0.48, 95%CI 0.26 to 0.87; 52

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  • Systematic reviews of more specific interventions or patient groups, such as interventions for fatigue in inflammatory bowel disease, psychological interventions for children and adolescents with so-called medically unexplained symptoms, or self-help for adolescents with persistent physical symptoms, found uncertain or weak evidence of their efficacy.

    “Systematic reviews of more specific inter ventions or patient groups, such as interventions for fatigue in inflammatory bowel disease, 97 psychological interventions for children and adolescents with so-called medically unexplained symptoms, 98 or selfhelp for adolescents with persistent physical symptoms, 99 found uncertain or weak evidence of their efficacy.”

    From Persistent physical symptoms: definition, genesis, and management (2024) · cites this paper as [97]

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  1. exp Crohn disease/ or crohn*.mp. Interventions for fatigue in inflammatory bowel disease (Review) Copyright © 2020 The Cochrane Collaboration. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Cochrane Library Trusted evidence. Informed decisions. Better health. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 16. (colitis and ulcerat*).mp. or exp ulcerative colitis/ 17. (inflammatory bowel disease* or IBD).mp 18. or/15-17 19. exp fatigue/ 20. exp chronic fatigue syndrome/ 21. (physical fatigue OR mental fatigue OR muscle fatigue).mp.

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Authors
Farrell, D., Artom, M., Czuber-Dochan, W., Jelsness-Jørgensen, L. P., Norton, C., & Savage, E.
Affiliations
  • Munster Technological University (IE)
  • King's College London (GB)
  • King's College London; Florence Nightingale Faculty of Nursing, Midwifery and Palliative Care; 57 Waterloo Road London UK SE1 8WA
  • Østfold University College; Health Sciences; Høgskolen i Østfold, Postboks 700 Halden Norway NO-1757
  • University College Cork (IE)
ORCID
Norton, Christine
Venue
Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews
Publisher
Wiley
Published
2020-04-16
Volume
2020
Issue
4
Pages
CD012005-CD012005
ISSN
  • 1361-6137 (ISSN-L)
  • 1465-1858
DOI
10.1002/14651858.cd012005.pub2
PMC
PMC7161727
OpenAlex
W2256722780
Cited by
89
References
115
Citations by year
2026: 8 · 2025: 9 · 2024: 16 · 2023: 15 · 2022: 9 · 2021: 10 · 2020: 9 · 2019: 1 · 2018: 2 · 2017: 3 · 2016: 3 · 2015: 2 · 2014: 2
FWCI
1.53
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • Cork Open Research Archive (University College Cork, Ireland) (publishedVersion)
Funders
National Institute for Health and Care Research (RP-PG-0216-20001)
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Genetics › Inflammatory Bowel Disease
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Rheumatology › Rheumatoid Arthritis Research and Therapies
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Ophthalmology › Ocular Diseases and Behçet’s Syndrome
Keywords
inflammatory bowel disease, fatigue, Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, pharmacological interventions, non-pharmacological treatment, electroacupuncture, physical activity guidelines, cognitive behavioral therapy, solution-focused therapy, quality of life, adverse events, FACIT-Fatigue, symptom management, treatment efficacy and safety
MeSH terms
Adalimumab, Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Fatigue, Ferric Compounds, Hematinics, Humans, Psychotherapy, Brief, Pyrones, Quality of Life, Inflammatory Bowel Diseases, Exercise, Fatty Acids, Omega-3, Electroacupuncture, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic

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