Fibromyalgia Syndrome Research articles from February

Some of the most interesting research relevant to Fibromyalgia Syndrome (Fibro) that has been discussed in the FibroAction Research section the last month is summarised here.

Objective evidence that Fibromyalgia Syndrome patients are as disabled as they say they are

A recently published study has found that patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis and Fibromyalgia Syndrome, displaying similar levels of self-reported disability, have objective evidence of similar levels of activity.

The patients were given a questionnaire with which to self-assess their level of disability and then researchers measured how active they were over the course of 24 hours. They found that those patients who self-reported as being more disabled, using the questionnaire, were seen as being more disabled through the measurement of activity.

Use of resources and costs profile in patients with Fibromyalgia Syndrome

A recently published study has found that Fibro patients attending 5 primary care (GP) clinics in Spain use a considerable amount of health resources and costs.

The economic burden of Fibromyalgia Syndrome compared with arthritis

Another study, carried out in the US, has concluded that the economic burden of illness in Fibromyalgia Syndrome is substantial and comparable to that of rheumatoid arthritis (RA), with Fibro patients having more Emergency Room, physician, and physical therapy visits than RA patients.

Impulse Control Disorder Behaviors Associated with Pramipexole Used to Treat Fibromyalgia

Dr Andrew Holman MD, a member of the FibroAction Professional Advisory Board, has published the first report of compulsive gambling and shopping among patients taking dopamine agonists for the treatment of Fibro. In a retrospective look at patient histories, Dr Holman found that around 1.5% of the patients taking dopamine agonists had problems with compulsive behaviours.

Compulsive behavioural problems have previously been associated with use of dopamine agonists used to treat Parkinson's disease.

Pramipexole remains a useful medication for the management of Fibro in a specific subset of the patient population.

Prevalence of Fibromyalgia Syndrome in five European Countries

An article has been e-published this month discussing the results of a Fibromyalgia Syndrome prevalence survey carried out 5 European countries (France, Germany, Italy, Portugal, and Spain).

The study found that, depending on which measure was used, the estimated overall prevalence of Fibro in the general population was either 4.7% or 2.9%

Fibromyalgia Syndrome and Food

An extended abstract has been written by researcher Jacqui Mayes on her research project using questionnaires to look at links between Fibro and food.

A large proportion of the Fibro patients surveyed in the study perceived that many of the foods contained in the survey affected their Fibro symptoms either negatively or positively, with the foods that brought the highest rates of response being; potatoes 40%, artificial sweetener 43%, beer/cider 45%, white wine 50%, aspartame 50%, sugar 53%, red wine 55%, mono-sodium glutamate 56%, coffee 58%, and bread 59%.