Association of rheumatic diseases with symptom severity, quality of life, and treatment outcome in patients with fibromyalgia

A retrospective analysis of the prevalence and impact of associated comorbidities on fibromyalgia outcomes in a tertiary care center

Background

This retrospective study was designed to analyze the prevalence and impact of associated comorbidities on fibromyalgia (FM) outcomes (functionality, pain, depression levels) for patients who participated in an intensive multicomponent clinical program in a tertiary care center.

Methods

Participants included a sample of 411 patients diagnosed with FM at a large tertiary medical center using the 2016 ACR criteria. Patients completed an intensive 2-day cognitive behavioral treatment (CBT) program, filled out the Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire Revised (FIQR), the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D), the Pain Catastrophizing Scale (PCS), and were followed for 6 months after treatment completion. T-tests were performed to analyze differences between the presence or absence of select comorbidities for the three outcomes at follow-up. Statistically significant comorbidities (p < 0.05) were used as predictors in multivariable logistic regression models.

Results

The FM associated comorbidities in this cohort that had significant impact on the measured outcome domains after treatment program completed were Obesity (FIQR p = 0.024), Hypothyroidism (CES-D p = 0.023, PCS p = 0.035), Gastroesophageal reflux disease GERD (PCS p < 0.001), Osteoarthritis (CES-D p = 0.047). Interestingly, Headache, the most frequent FM associated comorbidity in this cohort (33.6%), did not have a significant impact on the outcome domains at follow-up. Obesity (18.2%) was the only FM associated comorbidity significantly impacting all three outcome domains at follow-up.

Conclusion

The present study suggests that addressing obesity may significantly impact outcomes in FM patients.

COVID-19 associated hospitalization in 571 patients with fibromyalgia-A population-based study

OBJECTIVE

To identify predicators of patients with fibromyalgia (FM) that are associated with a severe COVID-19 disease course.

METHODS

We utilized the data base of the Clalit Health Services (CHS); the largest public organization in Israel, and extracted data concerning patients with FM. We matched two subjects without FM to each subject with FM by sex and age and geographic location. Baseline characteristics were evaluated by t-test for continuous variables and chi-square for categorical variables. Predictors of COVID-19 associated hospitalization were identified using univariable logistic regression model, significant variables were selected and analyzed by a multivariable logistic regression model.

RESULTS

The initial cohort comprised 18,598 patients with FM and 36,985 matched controls. The mean age was 57.5± 14.5(SD), with a female dominance of 91%. Out of this cohort we extracted the study population, which included all patients contracted with COVID-19, and consisted of 571 patients with FM and 1008 controls. By multivariable analysis, the following variables were found to predict COVID-19 associated hospitalization in patients with FM: older age (OR, 1.25; CI, 1.13-1.39; p<0.001), male sex (OR, 2.63; CI, 1.18-5.88; p<0.05) and hypertension (OR, 1.75; CI, 1.04-2.95; p<0.05).

CONCLUSION

The current population-based study revealed that FM per se was not directly associated with COVID-19 hospitalization or related mortality. Yet classical risk factors endangering the general population were also relevant among patients with FM.

Efficacy of home-based physical activity interventions in patients with autoimmune rheumatic diseases: A systematic review and meta-analysis

INTRODUCTION

Physical activity (PA) has been receiving increasing interest in recent years as an adjuvant therapy for autoimmune rheumatic disease (ARDs), but there is scarce information about the efficacy of home-based PA for patients with ARDs.

OBJECTIVE

To perform a systematic review and meta-analysis on the efficacy of home-based physical activity (PA) interventions in improving health-related quality of life, functional capacity, pain, and disease activity in patients with ARDs.

METHODS

Searches were performed in PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, Cochrane, CINAHL database and Sport Discus. Trials were considered eligible if they included a home-based physical activity intervention. The population included adults with autoimmune rheumatic diseases (e.g., rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, idiopathic inflammatory myopathies, systemic sclerosis and ankylosing spondylitis), comparisons included non-physical activity control or centre-based interventions (i.e., interventions performed on a specialized exercise centre) and the outcomes were quality of life, pain, functional capacity, disease activity and inflammation.

RESULTS

Home-based physical activity improved quality of life (p<0.01; g = 0.69; IC95%, 0.61 to 1.07) and functional capacity (p = 0.04; g = - 0.51; IC95%, -0.86; -0.16), and reduced disease activity (p = 0.03; g = - 0.60; IC95%, -1.16; -0.04) and pain (p = 0.01; g = -1.62; IC95%, -2.94 to -0.31) compared to the non-physical activity control condition. Additionally, home-based physical activity interventions were as effective as centre-based interventions for all investigated outcomes.

CONCLUSION

Home-based PA is an efficacious strategy to improve disease control and aleviate symptoms in ARD.

Chronic widespread pain and its associations with quality of life and function at a 20- year follow-up of individuals with chronic knee pain at inclusion

OBJECTIVE

To study the prevalence of chronic widespread pain (CWP) and chronic regional pain (CRP), and their association to quality of life, pain, physical function at a 20-year follow-up in a population based cohort with chronic knee pain at inclusion.

METHODS

121 individuals (45% women, mean age 64 years, range 54-73) with chronic knee pain from a population-based cohort study, answered a questionnaire and had radiographic knee examination at a 20-year follow-up. The responders were divided into three groups according to reported pain; individuals having no chronic pain (NCP), chronic widespread pain (CWP) and chronic regional pain (CRP). Pain and physical function were assessed using Knee injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS). Health related quality of life (HRQL) was assessed with Euroqol-5D-3 L (EQ5D) and Short form 36 (SF36). The associations between pain groups and KOOS, EQ5D, and SF36 were analysed by multiple logistic regression, controlled for age, gender and radiographic changes indicating knee osteoarthritis (OA).

RESULTS

The prevalence of CWP was 30%, and CWP was associated to worse scores in all KOOS subscales, controlled for age, gender and radiographic changes. CWP was also associated to worse scores in EQ-5D and in seven of the SF-36 subgroups, controlled for age, gender and radiographic changes.

CONCLUSION

One third of individuals with chronic knee pain met the criteria for CWP. CWP was associated with patient reported pain, function and HRQL. This suggest that it is important to assess CWP in the evaluation of patients with chronic knee pain, with and without radiographic knee OA.

Novel Sjögren's autoantibodies found in fibromyalgia patients with sicca and/or xerostomia

INTRODUCTION

A significant proportion of patients with fibromyalgia (FM) complain of dry eyes and mouth. Many Sjögren's syndrome (SS) patients also complain of FM symptoms, and there is literature that suggests that there is interplay between these two disorders. Recently, the presence of novel tissue specific autoantibodies (TSAs), SP-1, CA6, and PSP, has been observed in the early stages of SS. These early markers present themselves before the classic autoantibodies, such as SS-A/Ro, SS-B/La, ANA, and RF.

OBJECTIVE

This study aims to examine the relationship between SS and FM by testing patients with FM who also complain of xerostomia and sicca symptoms, for SS- related biomarkers.

METHODS

A cohort of 185 patients who met both the 1990 and 2010 preliminary diagnostic criteria for FM and who admitted to symptoms of sicca and/or xerostomia were selected for this study. Serum from 151 study patients was sent to a tertiary lab, Immco Diagnostics, for testing of the classic autoantibodies (SS-A/Ro, SS-B/La, ANA and RF) and TSAs (SP-1, CA6, PSP), while the rest (34 patients) were tested for TSAs only.

RESULTS

Of the 151 patients who were evaluated for both the early and classic SS markers, 49 (32%) tested positive for SS autoantibodies. Of those, 4 (3%) tested positive for the classic SS markers only, 40 (26%) of the patients tested positive for the early SS markers only, and 5 (3%) tested positive for both the early and classic SS markers. Of the 34 patients who were tested for early SS markers only, 10 (29%) tested positive and 24 (71%) tested negative. Further analysis of all the patients that tested positive for the TSAs (n = 55), found 83.6% (46) were positive for SP-1, 12.7% (7) were positive for CA6 and 20.0% (11) were positive for PSP. 85.5% (47) of these patients were positive for only one of the TSAs and 14.5% (8) were positive for more than one TSA.

CONCLUSION

Approximately 1/3 of FM patients that were tested for both the TSAs and classic Sjögren's markers tested positive for a SS biomarker, and the majority of those patients tested positive for one or more of the TSAs. This suggests that autoimmunity, specifically early- stage Sjögren's syndrome, may be involved in the pathophysiology of fibromyalgia.