The impact of post-stroke fatigue on work and other everyday life activities for the working age population – a registry-based cohort 2023 Vollertsen

Introduction
Life after stroke is a comprehensive area that involves engagement in meaningful everyday activities, including work, and can be adversely affected by post-stroke fatigue. This study investigates post-stroke fatigue, its development over time, and its impact on return to work and other everyday life activities. In addition, we investigated whether post-stroke fatigue could predict functioning in everyday life activities one year after stroke.

Material and methods
This prospective registry-based study includes 2850 working age (18 – 63 years) patients registered in the Swedish Stroke Register (Riksstroke) during year 2017 and 2018. Post-stroke fatigue and everyday activities were analyzed 3- and 12-months post-stroke.

Results
The mean age of the included participants was 54 years and the majority, 65%, were men. Three months post-stroke, 43% self-reported fatigue, at 12-months the proportion increased to 48%. About 90% of the patients were independent in basic ADL at 3-month. Dependence in complex activities one year post-stroke was significantly associated with fatigue. Not experiencing fatigue one year after stroke could predict positive functioning in everyday activities, increasing the chance of returning to work (OR = 3.7) and pre-stroke life and everyday activities (OR = 5.7).

Conclusion
Post-stroke fatigue is a common persistent disability that negatively impacts complex activities; therefore, fatigue needs to be acknowledged and addressed long term after discharge.

KEY MESSAGES

• People of working age who experience post-stroke fatigue encounter difficulties with complex rather than basic activities.
  
  
• Post-stroke fatigue may be developed when reclaiming complex activities; thus, long term routine assessments after discharge are recommended.
  
  
• Interventions addressing post-stroke fatigue are warranted, as the absence of post-stroke fatigue increases the chance of returning to everyday life, including work.
  

Open access, https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/07853890.2023.2269961