Almost half of stroke survivors suffer fatigue, study reveals

A new study suggests that almost half of people who experience a stroke suffer from fatigue in the early days of their recovery.

Although stroke survivors have reported fatigue as a problem, previous estimates of the numbers of people affected have varied greatly – from one-quarter to almost three-quarters of stroke survivors.

Published in the journal Clinical Rehabilitation, findings from the Fatigue after Stroke (NotFAST) study presents a more accurate picture of the problem.

We funded this study, led by Professor Avril Drummond at the University of Nottingham.  NotFAST is the first study to specifically exclude patients with depression, which is strongly linked to fatigue, and which may have influenced the outcome of previous studies.

Dr Dale Webb, Director of Research and Information at the Stroke Association, said: “We're delighted to have supported this research, and hope that it will help lift the veil on what's one of the most distressing, poorly understood, and inadequately managed conditions caused by stroke. There's so much more that needs to be done, but this research is a significant step towards getting these stroke survivors the support they so desperately need.”

Avril Drummond is Professor of Healthcare Research and Director of Research for the School of Health Sciences, at the University of Nottingham. She's an occupational therapist by professional background and a rehabilitation researcher with an interest in randomised controlled trials. She was Chair of the UK Stroke Forum from 2015 to 2016, and is currently Outgoing Chair for 2017.