Course of disease, fatigue and health-related quality of life in inflammatory bowel disease

This dissertation describes the course of disease, fatigue and quality of life in a Group of patients with an inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) in South Limburg. The course of disease was in general mild. It turned out, however, that patients in the first year after the diagnosis or with a more serious course of disease probably need a more intensive check to lower the risk of complications. Besides bowel complaints and anaemia, the presence of fatigue had great influence on the quality of life. But even without complaints almost 40% of the patients experience much more fatigue than expected in comparison to the healthy population. A more serious course of disease in the past seems to be of influence here