Management of Fatigue in Inflammatory Bowel Disease: A Narrative Review

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) encompasses chronic inflammatory conditions of the digestive tract, including Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. Fatigue is one of the common and important extraintestinal symptoms in IBD patients, which significantly affects the patient's ability to work, daily life, social activities, emotional state, and cognitive function. Although the impact of fatigue on patients' quality of life cannot be ignored, medical professionals still have limited knowledge of its concepts, assessment tools, influencing factors, and non-pharmacological interventions, which may lead to neglect and inadequate management of the symptoms. The purpose of this article is to review the definition and epidemiological characteristics of IBD-related fatigue and to discuss the application of four commonly used fatigue assessment tools in patients with IBD. In addition, we will analyze the multiple factors that affect fatigue in IBD patients from three levels: physiological, psychological, and sociodemographic. Finally, we will assess the effectiveness of different non-pharmacological interventions in alleviating fatigue in people with IBD and make corresponding clinical recommendations.