Impairment of Diverse Patient-Reported Outcome Measures in Patients with Takayasu Arteritis: A Cohort Study

To comprehensively evaluate patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) and fibromyalgia in patients with Takayasu arteritis (TAK) compared with healthy controls.

Quality of life (QoL) using EuroQol-5D-3L (EQ-5D), disability using Health Assessment Questionnaire (HAQ), physical activity - Metabolic Equivalents of Task (METs) using International Physical Activity Questionnaire - Short Form (IPAQ-SF), work impairment using Work Productivity and Activity Impairment - General Health (WPAIGH), anxiety using Generalised Anxiety Disorder seven items (GAD-7), depression using Patient Health Questionnaire nine items (PHQ-9), fatigue using Multidisciplinary Fatigue Inventory (MFI) and Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy (FACIT) scales and fibromyalgia were assessed in patients with TAK. Comparisons were performed between PROMs in patients with TAK and age- and sex-similar healthy controls, TAK with active or inactive disease by physician global assessment (adjusted for Large Vessel Vasculitis Index of Damage scores), or the same patients with TAK over time.

Eighty-four patients with TAK (mean age 35.61 years, 61 females) were compared with 61 healthy controls (mean age 33.62 years, 45 females). Patients with TAK had worse QoL, disability, activity impairment due to health, anxiety, depression and fatigue than controls (p<0.01); similar proportions had fibromyalgia. After adjustment for damage scores, patients with active TAK had worse impairment of physical activity due to health and fatigue. PROMs remained stable on follow-up in the patients with TAK (mean follow-up interval 7.53 months).

QoL, disability, anxiety, depression, and fatigue are impaired in patients with TAK and remain stable over time. Fatigue is associated with active TAK.