Background/Purpose: Behçet’s disease (BD) is a chronic systemic inflammatory disease classified as a variable vessel vasculitis of unknown etiology. It is marked by recurrent oral and genital aphthous lesions, skin lesions, and potential involvement of ocular, articular, intestinal, neurological, and vascular systems. In endemic areas, fatigue is a common symptom in BD patients, often associated with sleep disorders and reduced quality of life. This study aimed to assess fatigue and sleep disorders in patients with BD from a non-endemic area and correlate these symptoms with sociodemographic features.

Methods: This cross-sectional study involved patients with BD from a tertiary university hospital, all patients met the International Study Group (ISG) and International Criteria for Behçet’s Disease (ICBD). Patients consented to participate in the study and provided data on age, sex, and socio-demographic characteristics. Also, patients were categorized based on the presence of fatigue. Fatigue was assessed with FACIT-Fatigue score (FFS). Sleep quality was evaluated using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). Statistical analyses included Fisher’s exact test for categorical variables and Student’s t-test for continuous variables, with significance set at p < 0.05.

Results: The study included 42 patients, 22 of whom were female (52.3%), with a mean age of 47.6±14.1 years, and a low predominance of the white race (52.4%). Mean FFS was 32.4±10.8 and PSQI 9.09±4.79. A significant inverse relationship was found between FFS and PSQI (Pearson r = -0.470; p < 0.01). Patients with higher body mass index presented more fatigue (p=0.005). There were no significant differences regarding sex, ethnicity, smoking history, alcohol use, physical activity or marital status. A high frequency of poor sleep quality was present in patients with fatigue (51.6%; p=0.016). Additionally, patients with fatigue presented higher scores in PSQI global score (p=0.001) and its subdomains such as sleep onset latency (p=0.026) and sleep duration (p=0.040).

Conclusion: This study shows a high frequency of fatigue and poor sleep quality in BD patients from a non-endemic region. Our findings underscore the importance of recognizing these factors, suggesting the need for a multidisciplinary therapeutic approach to enhance the overall well-being of BD patients.

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ACR Meeting Abstracts - https://acrabstracts.org/abstract/high-levels-of-fatigue-and-poor-sleep-quality-in-behcets-disease-a-cross-sectional-study-from-a-non-endemic-area/