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Fibromyalgia Cluster Symptoms
A study undertaken by researchers at the University of Texas at San Antonio and Oregon Health and Sciences University attempted to identify the symptoms that are common in fibromyalgia, and also to determine whether symptoms typically occur (cluster) together in a manner that can be predicted.
More than 750 participants with fibromyalgia enrolled in the study, which was also a multi-center trial for the drug Lyrica. Participants were asked to rank the top five symptoms that they would like to have addressed, from a list of 20 symptoms that were originally identified by fibromyalgia focus groups.
Due to the large amount of data collected from over 750 participants, the researchers were able to use mathematical means to determine which fibromyalgia symptoms tended to cluster together. In all, six cluster categories were identified:
• Pain (experienced by 90% of participants)- disturbed sleep, pain, difficulty walking, skin sensitivity
• Fatigue (experienced by 89% of participants)- difficulty thinking clearly, feeling tired, lack of energy, having to push to accomplish anything due to feeling fatigued
• Domestic (experienced by 42% of participants)- no desire for intimacy with partner, relationship strain, negative impact on family, feeling unable to make plans due to fear of being unable to follow through
• Impairment (experienced by 29% of participants)- inability to accomplish daily tasks, inability to drive, inability/difficulty with work or school
• Mood-Related (Affective) (experienced by 21% of participants) - depression, isolation, anxiousness.
• Social (experienced by 9% of participants)- overall impact on social life, feeling as if pace of life is slower than for others
What is the significance of this study? The study proved that pain and sleep are common features of fibromyalgia and cluster together (disturbed sleep was seen as related to pain). The many symptoms of fibromyalgia make the condition a difficult one to treat. Knowing which symptoms are most important to those suffering from the condition may lead to more targeted treatments for individuals suffering from the condition.
Source: Bennett RM, et al. BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders 11:134-143, 2010
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Related Questions
Fibromyalgia is a prevalent condition that affects many people in the United States. Approximately 3.7 million Americans have Fibromyalgia. That is 1 in every 73 people.
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Great article and it
Great article and it validates all of the horrible symptoms that I have.
I'm glad you liked it! It's
I'm glad you liked it! It's good to know that the blogs reach people.
Hopefully this study will help to underline the fact that many symptoms of fibromyalgia can be predicted to cluster together. Perhaps physicians will use such studies to develop better treatments, and also to increase their own knowledge of how all-encompassing fibromyalgia can be.
Jennifer Bunn, RN