Systematic review: muscle fatigability, self-perceived fatigue and inflammatory markers in adults aged 65 and over
In this abstract of a systematic review of 27 articles (4962 patients) on adults aged 65 and above, IL-6 showed the most consistent association with both muscle fatigability and self-perceived fatigue; findings for TNF-α and CRP were mixed or limited. Associations are not causes. [1]
Automatic summary · not editorially reviewed
The key findings
The review examined associations between circulating inflammatory biomarkers and muscle fatigability and/or self-perceived fatigue in adults aged 65 and above, screening three databases and finding 7009 articles. [1]
In 27 included articles (4962 patients), IL-6 correlated significantly with muscle fatigability (7 studies) and self-perceived fatigue (2 studies), while TNF-α and CRP showed no significant correlation with muscle fatigability and pooling for self-perceived fatigue was limited. [1]
Studies outside the meta-correlations confirmed significant associations of IL-6 with both fatigue dimensions and also showed associations of CRP and TNF-α with self-perceived fatigue; the review calls IL-6 the most consistent marker. [1]
The source at a glance
- Study type / format
- Systematic literature review with meta-correlations (abstract only)
- Population / context
- Adults aged 65 and above in the included published studies.
- Summary based on
- Study abstract
- Original publication
- September 22, 2026
Review question on fatigue and inflammation at 65+
The review asked whether circulating inflammatory biomarkers are associated with two dimensions of fatigue in older adults: muscle fatigability and self-perceived fatigue. The authors describe chronic inflammation as a hallmark of ageing that contributes to the pathophysiology of fatigue. Three databases were systematically screened for publications on muscle fatigability and/or self-perceived fatigue together with inflammation in adults aged 65 and above; 7009 articles were found.
Supporting source [1]
IL-6 linked to both fatigue dimensions in meta-correlations
Twenty-seven articles covering 4962 patients were included. Where possible, the authors pooled correlations. IL-6 correlated significantly with muscle fatigability (7 studies; r = -0.189, p = 0.0017) and with self-perceived fatigue (2 studies; r = 0.160, p = 0.0241). TNF-α showed no significant correlation with muscle fatigability (4 studies; r = -0.052, p = 0.196), and data were insufficient for a pooled correlation with self-perceived fatigue. CRP did not correlate significantly with muscle fatigability (4 studies; r = -0.078, p = 0.19), and high heterogeneity precluded a pooled correlation with self-perceived fatigue.
Supporting source [1]
Studies outside the pooling mostly supported IL-6 links
Studies not included in the meta-correlations confirmed a significant association between IL-6 and both muscle fatigability (3 studies) and self-perceived fatigue (5 studies). These studies also showed a significant association between CRP and self-perceived fatigue (6 studies) and between TNF-α and both muscle fatigability (1 study) and self-perceived fatigue (1 study). The review concludes that a significant correlation between fatigue and inflammation was found, with IL-6 the most consistent marker across the included studies. These are associations, not evidence that inflammation causes fatigue.
Supporting source [1]
How to interpret this
This explainer is based only on the abstract; the full text was not reviewed. The abstract does not report study designs, follow-up, how fatigue or inflammation were measured, or risk of bias. Several pooled analyses rested on few studies, and pooling for self-perceived fatigue was impossible for TNF-α and CRP. The findings are associations, not causal evidence.
Based on the study abstract; the full paper, tables and supplementary data were not reviewed.
Source & supporting passages
Primossi F, Puts S, Nosrani SE, Saren J, Njemini R, De Dobbeleer L, Bautmans I. · europepmc.org · September 22, 2026