Why is fatigue so persistent in PSC - and what might help?

Fatigue is one of the most common and burdensome symptoms experienced by people living with primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC). It can affect work, social life, physical activity and overall quality of life. We still know relatively little about why some people with PSC experience severe and persistent fatigue while others do not.

In our prospective SOMA.LIV study, we wanted to look beyond liver disease alone. We investigated a broad range of biological, psychological and behavioural factors that might contribute to fatigue in people with PSC. We followed participants over six months to examine which factors were associated with fatigue over time.