Fatigue and aging

Abstract

Fatigue is the most common chronic symptom of cancer and the symptom most likely to disrupt the patient's activity and to cause disability.Fatigue affects older cancer patients to the same order of magnitude as younger ones and appears to be related to different factors such as anemia, depression, and reduced neuromuscular energy production. Interestingly, some studies have suggested that the duration of fatigue may be age-related. In the elderly, fatigue may cause functional dependence; functional dependence may lead to interruption of treatment, decline in quality of life and expensive home care. Available interventions include reduction of centrally acting drugs, management of anemia and metabolic abnormalities, and management of depression, treatment of sleep disorders, correction of endocrine abnormalities and realistic exercise programmes.