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Abstract Fatigue is one of the common symptoms in individuals with diseases or disorders, significantly affecting quality of life (QoL) and the prognosis of diseases. This study aimed to comprehensively compare the features of fatigue across a wide range of diseases. We systematically searched the PubMed and Cochrane Library databases from inception to March 31st, 2021, and conducted a meta-analysis to generate precise estimates. The analyses were stratified by classification of diseases, gender, and severity of fatigue (moderate and severe), and study quality was assessed using the Newcastle–Ottawa Scale (NOS). In total, 214 articles (233 prevalence data) met our eligibility criteria, covering 102,024 participants (mean 438 ± 1,421) across 88 diseases. Among these, seventy-eight data sets (52,082 participants) and thirty-nine data sets (10,389 participants) reported gender- and severity-related fatigue prevalence. The overall prevalence among subjects with 88 diseases was 49.4% [95% CI 46.9–52.1]. According to the International Classification of Diseases-10 (ICD-10) classification, the highest prevalence of fatigue (65.9% [95% CI 54.9–79.6]) was observed in patients with mental/behavioral diseases, whereas the lowest prevalence (34.7% [95% CI 24.5–49.2]) was found among those with circulatory system diseases. A slight female dominance (43.5% vs. 49.8%) was observed in the total data, with the most notable female predominance (1.8-fold) seen in patients with low back pain. The top disease groups with a moderate to severe level of fatigue included gastroparesis (92.3%), pulmonary hypertension (90.0%), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD, 83.2%), and multiple sclerosis (80.0%). These results are the first to comprehensively show the comparative features of fatigue prevalence among subjects across 88 diseases. Our findings provide valuable reference data for future research on fatigue and for the management of patients with fatigue. Prospero registration number: CRD42021270494

Abstract Cancer-related fatigue (CRF) affects therapeutic compliance and clinical outcomes including recurrence and mortality. This study aimed to comprehensively and comparatively assess the severity-based prevalence of CRF. From two public databases (PubMed and Cochrane Library), we extracted data containing information on both prevalence and severity of fatigue in cancer patients through December 2021. We conducted a meta-analysis to produce point estimates using random effects models. Subgroup analyses were used to assess the prevalence and severity by the organ/system tumor development, treatment phase, therapeutic type, sex and assessment method. A total of 151 data (57 studies, 34,310 participants, 11,805 males and 22,505 females) were selected, which indicated 43.0% (95% CI 39.2–47.2) of fatigue prevalence. The total CRF prevalence including ‘mild’ level of fatigue was 70.7% (95% CI 60.6–83.3 from 37 data). The prevalence of ‘severe’ fatigue significantly varied by organ/system types of cancer origin (highest in brain tumors 39.7% vs. lowest in gynecologic tumors 3.9%) and treatment phase likely 15.9% (95% CI 8.1–31.3) before treatment, 33.8% (95% CI 27.7–41.2) ongoing treatment, and 24.1% (95% CI 18.6–31.2) after treatment. Chemotherapy (33.1%) induced approximately 1.5-fold higher prevalence for ‘severe’ CRF than surgery (22.0%) and radiotherapy (24.2%). The self-reported data for ‘severe’ CRF was 20-fold higher than those assessed by physicians (23.6% vs. 1.6%). Female patients exhibited a 1.4-fold higher prevalence of ‘severe’ fatigue compared to males. The present data showed quantitative feature of the prevalence and severity of CRF based on the cancer- or treatment-related factors, sex, and perspective of patient versus physician. In the context of the medical impact of CRF, our results provide a comparative reference to oncologists or health care providers making patient-specific decision.