Assessment of fatigue and nutritional status in patients with multiple sclerosis

Introduction: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an immune-mediated disease of the central nervous system, characterized by a variety of disabling symptoms of which fatigue is the most prevalent. Objectives: The study aimed to evaluate the nutritional status and the presence of fatigue in patients with MS. Methods: This is a cross-sectional observational descriptive-analytical study. The sample consisted of 32 patients, attended in September and October 2022. The score on the Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS), body mass index (BMI), and percentage of adipose tissue was evaluated (%BF). Fatigue was investigated using the Brazilian version of the Modified Fatigue Impact Scale (MFIS-BR). Variables were expressed as simple frequencies, percentages, means, medians, and standard deviations. The normality of the data was verified by the test of Shapiro-Wilk. To compare means, the test used was T of Student and the correlation by the test of Spearman. The statistical software used was Statistics/Data Analysis (STATA) version 14.2, adopting (p<0.05). Results: The average age was 34.28 years and 75% was female. The majority (28 – 87.5%) have Relapsing-Remitting Multiple Sclerosis (RRMS), with a disease time of 6,14 years and a low degree of disability (Median EDSS = 1.72). Among the interviewees, 12 (37.5%) reported the presence of fatigue. More than half of the group (17 – 53.1%) were overweight or obese (BMI ? 25 kg/m2), with high % BF (19 – 59.40). A positive correlation was observed between BMI e EDSS (R = 0.3634) (p = 0.040). In addition, fatigue symptoms had associated a positive with EDSS (r = 0.3465) (p = 0.049). Conclusion: The results show that weight gain and consequent increase in BMI are related to increased fatigue and the degree of disability in patients with MS. KEYWORDS: Multiple Sclerosis. Obesity. Body Mass Index. Fatigue.