In a recent study, researchers examined how symptom clusters in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) impact quality of life (QoL). Among 201 patients surveyed using standardized tools, fatigue emerged as the most prevalent symptom. Exploratory factor analysis identified five distinct symptom clusters: fatigue-related, weight gain-related, itch-pain-related, skin change, and body image symptoms. These clusters were then analyzed for their association with QoL using Spearman correlation analysis.
Results showed that fatigue-related, weight gain-related, and body image symptom clusters had significant negative correlations with overall QoL and multiple QoL dimensions. The itch-pain and skin change clusters also negatively affected QoL, particularly in areas such as physical and mental health, pain, and fatigue. The findings underscore the importance of nurses and clinicians identifying and managing symptom clusters in patients with SLE to improve their quality of life through targeted interventions.
Reference: Bai L, Yang X, Miao H, et al. The Correlation Between Symptom Clusters and Quality of Life in Patients with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus: A Cross-Sectional Study. West J Nurs Res. 2025 Mar;47(3):149-158. doi: 10.1177/01939459251314967. Epub 2025 Jan 31. PMID: 39888655.
Link: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39888655/
