Background
Fatigue is highly prevalent and causes serious disruption in quality of life. Although
the underlying biological mechanism is unknown, increases in inflammation have been
implicated. This prospective study examined the association between C-reactive protein
(CRP), a biomarker of systemic inflammation, and fatigue 5 years later.
Methods
The Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults (CARDIA) study is a population-based
longitudinal study conducted in four U.S. cities. Highly sensitive CRP concentration
and fatigue were measured in 2983 African American and white adults at both year 15
(2000–2001, ages 33–45 years) and year 20 (2005–2006) examinations. Fatigue was assessed
using the vitality subscale of the 12-item Short Form Health Survey.
Results
Plasma CRP concentration at baseline (i.e., CARDIA year 15) was a significant predictor
of fatigue level 5 years later (unadjusted β = .126, p < .001). After adjustment for potential confounders, this association remained significant
(adjusted β = .044, p = .033). Additionally, baseline CRP independently predicted fatigue in the subgroup
of participants without medical comorbidity (adjusted β = .051, p = .039). Fatigue was associated with a persistent elevation of CRP at both examinations
but not with a transient elevation of CRP at only one of the examinations.
Conclusions
This is the first study to demonstrate a prospective association between an inflammatory
marker and fatigue in a general population. Furthermore, the association between low-grade
systemic inflammation and fatigue seems primarily driven by persistent immune activation
and not explained by the presence or development of medical comorbidity.
Key Words
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Article Info
Publication History
Published online: July 30, 2009
Accepted:
June 13,
2009
Received in revised form:
June 12,
2009
Received:
December 15,
2008
Identification
Copyright
© 2009 Society of Biological Psychiatry. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
