Abstract
Objective: To examine the influence of body mass index (BMI) and weight change on fatigue severity and failure to recover in individuals with acute infectious mononucleosis.
Methods: We prospectively studied 148 individuals presenting with a positive monospot test. We obtained measured weights and vitality subscale scores from the Short Form-36 Health Survey (SF-36) at the index visit and at 6 months.
Results: The mean age of the participants was 21 years and 24% were overweight or obese. During acute illness, overweight and obese participants had an adjusted odds ratio for low vitality scores of 2.9 (confidence interval 1.2–7.1) compared to normal weight subjects. Neither index BMI nor 6-month weight gain was significantly associated with prolonged fatigue or failure to recover.
Conclusion: Overweight and obese patients with acute infectious mononucleosis are more likely to experience severe fatigue. In contrast, neither baseline weight nor weight gain appear to impede recovery.