Women with myasthenia gravis (MG) appear to experience more challenges and have greater rehabilitation needs than men, according to a recently published study in Disability and Rehabilitation.
“Around half of the people with MG achieve remission at some point, but even if the disease is well treated, this does not necessarily equal a satisfying quality of life, and many people with MG struggle with symptoms that influence their everyday lives,” the authors wrote.
In an effort to guide future rehabilitation initiatives for patients with MG, the authors aimed to assess the self-reported challenges and rehabilitation needs in close to 200 patients with MG. All of the included patients completed a cross-sectional questionnaire containing 95 items.
The median age of the participants was 57 years; however, female participants were, on average, younger than males both at the time of the study and at disease onset. Approximately 44% of participants had experienced changes in employment status due to their disease.
The median number of reported challenges per patient was 15 out of 95 possible. The most commonly reported challenges were fatigue, sleep abnormalities, side effects from medication, vision abnormalities, and cramps. The average number of rehabilitation needs was three.
The authors observed that the prevalence of physical challenges and rehabilitation needs was higher in women than in men. There was no association between the incidence of physical challenges or rehabilitation needs and age or years with the disease.
Additionally, many patients—predominantly women—reported unmet psychological needs, including mental fatigue, concerns regarding the disease, and frustration.
The authors remarked that the findings are concordant with previous studies that found that women tend to have more severe MG symptoms than men.
“MG significantly impacts everyday functioning and activities. Disease-related challenges and rehabilitation needs manifested differently across genders; women experienced more challenges and rehabilitation needs than men, which may be ascribed to a combination of biological, psychological, and social factors,” the authors concluded.
Sign up here to get the latest news, perspectives, and information about MG sent directly to your inbox. Registration is free and only takes a minute.
