Effects of a health education program on cytokines and cortisol levels in fibromyalgia patients: a randomized controlled trial

The effect of health education on symptom severity in patients with fibromyalgia: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Fibromyalgia (FM) is a complex chronic disorder characterized by widespread pain as the primary symptom. To evaluate the effect of health education on the severity of various symptoms in patients with FM, seven databases were searched from inception to August 2024 to identify randomized controlled trials evaluating the effects of health education for FM. The primary outcome was overall symptom severity, and the secondary outcomes were pain, depression, anxiety, sleep quality, fatigue, physical function and self-efficacy. The Cochrane Risk-of-Bias tool for randomized trials and the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluations were used to assess the quality of the included studies and the certainty of evidence, respectively. Treatment effects were estimated by calculating Hedges' g and the corresponding 95% confidence intervals. Meta-analysis included a total of 13 trials. The results revealed that health education significantly reduced overall symptom severity, depression and anxiety and increased sleep quality and physical function among patients with FM (all P values < 0.05). However, no significant effects were observed on pain, fatigue and self-efficacy. Health education may be a beneficial intervention for FM patients, particularly for mitigating symptom severity. Health-care providers should implement health education interventions to empower patients to effectively manage their symptoms.

Amigos de Fibro (Fibro Friends): validation of an e-book to promote health in fibromyalgia

BACKGROUND

Educational strategies are necessary for the care of patients with fibromyalgia. The objective was to develop and validate an e-book to promote the health of individuals with fibromyalgia.

METHODS

Methodological research in which, initially, through a bibliographic survey, the available publications on the subject were analyzed. Then, this knowledge was used to build the theoretical content addressed, and the art and layout of the e-book were elaborated. In the third phase, validation of the constructed material, content specialists (n = 23), technicians (n =  23) and design specialists (n = 23), and individuals with fibromyalgia (n = 45) evaluated the e-book through the Delphi technique. For data collection, different questionnaires were used, according to the evaluation focus of each participant group, analyzed for reliability using Cronbach's Alpha (αC) and agreement using the Content Validity Index (CVI).

RESULTS

In the global assessment of agreement from all groups of judges, the CVI presented a considerable minimum: content (0.79), technical (0.89), design (0.92), and target audience (0.97). Regarding reliability, all groups also had a αC within the acceptable range: content (0.960), technical (0.963), design (0.977), and target audience (1.08).

CONCLUSIONS

The e-book was developed and validated in terms of content and relevance and can be used to promote the health of individuals with fibromyalgia.

The Biology of Stress Intolerance in Patients with Chronic Pain—State of the Art and Future Directions

Stress has been consistently linked to negative impacts on physical and mental health. More specifically, patients with chronic pain experience stress intolerance, which is an exacerbation or occurrence of symptoms in response to any type of stress. The pathophysiological mechanisms underlying this phenomenon remain unsolved. In this state-of-the-art paper, we summarised the role of the autonomic nervous system (ANS) and hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, the two major stress response systems in stress intolerance. We provided insights into such mechanisms based on evidence from clinical studies in both patients with chronic pain, showing dysregulated stress systems, and healthy controls supported by preclinical studies, highlighting the link between these systems and symptoms of stress intolerance. Furthermore, we explored the possible regulating role for (epi)genetic mechanisms influencing the ANS and HPA axis. The link between stress and chronic pain has become an important area of research as it has the potential to inform the development of interventions to improve the quality of life for individuals living with chronic pain. As stress has become a prevalent concern in modern society, understanding the connection between stress, HPA axis, ANS, and chronic health conditions such as chronic pain is crucial to improve public health and well-being.

Evaluating the Effect of Preoperative Provision of Information on Salivary Cortisol in Patients Undergoing Breast Cancer Surgery: A Randomized Controlled Study

PURPOSE

Surgery is considered to be an anxious experience and most patients experience preoperative anxiety. Preoperative awareness has long been one of the most effective ways to reduce fear and anxiety caused by surgery. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of preoperative provision of information on salivary cortisol in candidates for breast cancer surgery.

DESIGN

This randomized clinical trial was conducted on 80 patients (divided into control group and intervention group; 40 patients in each group) admitted to the surgery department of the Cancer Institute of Imam Khomeini hospital in Iran. Samples were selected using random allocation method with a block size of four. Data were collected on participants' demographic characteristics and salivary cortisol.

METHODS

The educational intervention for patients in the control group was routine training and for patients in the intervention group was based on the training booklet approved by cancer specialists. Findings were analyzed using SPSS software version 21.

FINDINGS

The mean age of participants in the intervention and control groups was 44.00 ± 11.45 and 42.62 ± 12.83 years, respectively . The mean score of anxiety in the intervention group was 18.85± 6.19 before intervention, and decreased to 7.40± 3.68 after intervention . The mean score of anxiety in the control group was 19.75 ± 7.26 and significantly decreased to 14.25 ± 5.73 at the end of the study.

CONCLUSIONS

The results showed that preoperative anxiety significantly decreased in both groups, but was lower overall in the intervention group. In fact, using an educational booklet to raise awareness about patients' health, surgery knowledge and postoperative care as well as how to adapt to postsurgery physical changes and to promote psychological support can reduce patients' anxiety. Hence, providing education to patients may be integrated as a complementary method in patients' routine education.

The role of physiotherapy in fibromyalgia: Current and future perspectives

Fibromyalgia is a chronic pain condition characterized by generalized musculoskeletal pain, hyperalgesia and allodynia, commonly associated with other symptoms such as fatigue, poor sleep quality, anxiety and depression. The clinical manifestations of this rheumatic disease have significant psychosocial and economic repercussions, with a substantial impact on health status, quality of life and social activities. Currently, recommendations for the management of fibromyalgia include patient education and non-pharmacological interventions, and among the indicated treatments, clinical guidelines include several physiotherapeutic resources, essential for individuals affected by this syndrome. Research in the physiotherapy field has demonstrated its effectiveness, but there is a need to update the literature. This study aims to identify the effectiveness of physiotherapy in the treatment of individuals with fibromyalgia. We performed a literature review looking for articles dated from March 2012 to March 2022 using the terms “fibromyalgia”, “physiotherapy”, “physical therapy”, “rehabilitation” in different languages in various databases and their main information was read and collected and presented in a descriptive way. The effects of physiotherapy interventions are summarized in order to provide a reference for future research and clinical application. Research on non-pharmacological physiotherapy-oriented treatments has grown in recent years as an alternative for fibromyalgia treatment. This review allows fibromyalgia patients to receive appropriate physical therapy interventions to promote their health.

Recommendations by the Spanish Society of Rheumatology on the management of patients with fibromyalgia. Part II

OBJECTIVE

To prevent the deterioration of patients with fibromyalgia due to potentially avoidable harmful actions in clinical practice.

METHODS

A multidisciplinary panel of experts identified key areas, analysed the scientific evidence and formulated recommendations based on this evidence and qualitative techniques of "formal assessment" or "reasoned judgement".

RESULTS

Thirty-nine recommendations were made on diagnosis, ineffective and unsafe treatments, patient education and practitioner training. This part II shows the 12 recommendations, referring to the latter two areas.

CONCLUSIONS

Good knowledge of fibromyalgia on the part of patients improves their coping and acceptance of the disease and reduces the severity of some clinical manifestations. Healthcare professionals treating patients with fibromyalgia should be well trained in this disease to improve treatment outcomes and patient relationships.

Amigos de Fibro (Fibro Friends): Validation of an Educational Program to Promote Health in Fibromyalgia

Health education is one of the main items to enable the promotion of health for individuals with fibromyalgia (FM) in Primary Health Care (PHC) in Brazil. The purpose of this study was to validate a multidisciplinary educational health promotion program called Amigos de Fibro (Fibro Friends) for individuals with FM. Methodological research involving 23 health professionals (expert judges) and 45 individuals with FM (target audience) used an instrument to assess the objectives, proposed themes and initiatives, relevance, writing style, and structure of the program through the Delphi technique. The content validity index (CVI) ≥ 0.78 and coefficient kappa ≥ 0.61 were used for data analysis. All 25 items evaluated in both groups presented considerable minimum CVI by CVI and the kappa coefficient. In the global evaluation of Amigos de Fibro, the CVI of the specialist judges was 0.90, while the values of the target audience judges were 0.95. The kappa coefficient of the expert judges was 0.90 and that of the target audience judges was 0.85. Amigos de Fibro, a light technology in health, was considered with adequate content validity and internal consistency and is, therefore, valid in the use by health professionals with the target audience in PHC, making it possible for them to act as health-promoting agents.

Fibromyalgia in social media: content and quality of the information analysis of videos on the YouTube platform

To evaluate the fibromyalgia (FM) content in YouTube videos and verify if American College of Rheumatology (ACR) guidelines are being met. The videos were searched with the keyword "Fibromyalgia." Two independent researchers evaluated and coded specific characteristics of the videos. The popularity of the videos, the presentation properties, and content related to FM according to the ACR criteria were analyzed. Of the 200 videos included, the majority were presented by health professionals, 61.5%. Most videos covered more than one subject, 38.5%. The videos presented by health professionals were the most viewed. Following the ACR guidelines, 38% defined FM, 24% described the etiology, 19.5% described the diagnostic criteria and 52% presented recommended management strategies. The results indicate that users mainly watch videos published by health professionals. Most of the published videos do not follow the information recommended by the ACR guidelines. Therefore, videos should be interpreted with caution, not being the most appropriate resource for health education for patients with FM. Most of the videos published on YouTube about FM do not meet the ACR guidelines for FM.

Self-management for chronic widespread pain including fibromyalgia: A systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Chronic widespread pain (CWP) including fibromyalgia has a prevalence of up to 15% and is associated with substantial morbidity. Supporting psychosocial and behavioural self-management is increasingly important for CWP, as pharmacological interventions show limited benefit. We systematically reviewed the effectiveness of interventions applying self-management principles for CWP including fibromyalgia.

METHODS

MEDLINE, Embase, PsycINFO, The Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials and the WHO International Clinical Trials Registry were searched for studies reporting randomised controlled trials of interventions adhering to self-management principles for CWP including fibromyalgia. Primary outcomes included physical function and pain intensity. Where data were sufficient, meta-analysis was conducted using a random effects model. Studies were narratively reviewed where meta-analysis could not be conducted Evidence quality was rated using GRADE (Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluations) (PROSPERO-CRD42018099212).

RESULTS

Thirty-nine completed studies were included. Despite some variability in studies narratively reviewed, in studies meta-analysed self-management interventions improved physical function in the short-term, post-treatment to 3 months (SMD 0.42, 95% CI 0.20, 0.64) and long-term, post 6 months (SMD 0.36, 95% CI 0.20, 0.53), compared to no treatment/usual care controls. Studies reporting on pain narratively had greater variability, however, those studies meta-analysed showed self-management interventions reduced pain in the short-term (SMD -0.49, 95% CI -0.70, -0.27) and long-term (SMD -0.38, 95% CI -0.58, -0.19) compared to no treatment/usual care. There were few differences in physical function and pain when self-management interventions were compared to active interventions. The quality of the evidence was rated as low.

CONCLUSION

Reviewed studies suggest self-management interventions can be effective in improving physical function and reducing pain in the short and long-term for CWP including fibromyalgia. However, the quality of evidence was low. Future research should address quality issues whilst making greater use of theory and patient involvement to understand reported variability.

Recommendations by the Spanish Society of Rheumatology on the Management of Patients with Fibromyalgia. Part II

OBJECTIVE

To prevent the deterioration of patients with fibromyalgia due to potentially avoidable harmful actions in clinical practice.

METHODS

A multidisciplinary panel of experts identified key areas, analysed the scientific evidence and formulated recommendations based on this evidence and qualitative techniques of «formal assessment» or «reasoned judgement».

RESULTS

Thirty-nine recommendations were made on diagnosis, ineffective and unsafe treatments, patient education and practitioner training. This partII shows the 12 recommendations, referring to the latter two areas.

CONCLUSIONS

Good knowledge of fibromyalgia on the part of patients improves their coping and acceptance of the disease and reduces the severity of some clinical manifestations. Healthcare professionals treating patients with fibromyalgia should be well trained in this disease to improve treatment outcomes and patient relationships.

Searching for new anxiolytic agents among derivatives of 11-dialkylaminoethyl-2,3,4,5-tetrahydrodiazepino[1,2-a]benzimidazole

A study on the anxiolytic activity of the new derivatives of 11-dialkylaminoethyl-2,3,4,5-tetrahydrodiazepino[1,2-a]benzimidazole, containing privileged scaffolds of benzodiazepine and benzimidazole in their structure, was conducted. The cytotoxic properties of low levels of six compounds were preliminary determined in vitro using the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide test. The screening of these substances for anxiolytic activity was conducted using elevated plus maze (EPM) test in vivo, and DAB-21 was found to be the most active compound. The acute toxicity of DAB-21 was determined as less toxic than that of diazepam. The dose-dependent effect of the most active compound revealed a minimum dose of 1.26 mg/kg, which resulted in the maximum counterphobic effect. The effect of DAB-21 was superior in a number of tests compared with that of diazepam, which indicated a high level of tranquilizing activity for DAB-21. The results of in silico docking analysis suggest that DAB-21 should have a slightly lower anxiolytic activity than diazepam, but should exhibit greater specific affinity for the benzodiazepine site of the GABA_A receptor, in comparison with its GABA-binding site. The interaction between DAB-21 and flumazenil in terms of EPM verifies the GABAergic mechanism of action of DAB-21. Our results highlight the potential of 11-dialkylaminomethyl-2,3,4,5-tetrahydrodiazepino[1,2-a]benzimidazoles as promising compounds in the search for new highly effective anxiolytics.

Effectiveness of interdisciplinary health education programs for individuals with fibromyalgia: A systematic review

Fibromyalgia has been increasing worldwide and is considered a public health problem. Nonpharmacological treatment through exercise and education is recommended for fibromyalgia management. In this sense, there is a need for interdisciplinary programs to promote health and improve symptoms in fibromyalgia. The purpose of this study was to verify the effectiveness of interdisciplinary health education programs for individuals with fibromyalgia. This is a systematic review that followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses recommendations and was registered at Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (CRD4201913228). A search was conducted in the following databases: Scientific Electronic Library Online, Lilacs, Medical Literature Analysis and Retrieval System Online, Scopus, Web of Knowledge ISI, Physiotherapy Evidence Database, Excerpta Medica Database, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, Cochrane Library, and SPORTDiscus. The descriptors used were "Fibromyalgia" and "Health Education." Clinical trials published between 1990 and 2019 were selected. The Jadad Quality Scale and the Cochrane Risk-of-Bias Tool were used to evaluate the risk of bias and the methodological quality of the clinical trials. The search found 2887 articles, and only two studies were included in the analysis. Both studies conducted the interventions through lectures and group activities. In particular, the topics most frequently approached at the interdisciplinary health education programs were general information about fibromyalgia, body practices, physical activities, and pharmacological approaches. An interdisciplinary health education program can improve pain and quality of life in people with fibromyalgia; however, evidence shows low methodological quality. This systematic review indicates that studies are of low quality, interfering with the effectiveness of interdisciplinary health education programs.

Pain and Cortisol in Patients with Fibromyalgia: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

This systematic review and meta-analysis sought to gain further insight into the relationship between cortisol reactivity and chronic widespread pain in patients with fibromyalgia. The studies selected were those conducted in adults with fibromyalgia that were random controlled, non-controlled or observational. Studies were excluded if they examined diseases other than fibromyalgia or if they did not report on pain or cortisol. Twelve studies met inclusion criteria. Data were extracted into tabular format using predefined data fields by two reviewers and assessed for accuracy by a third reviewer. The methodological quality of the studies was assessed using the PEDro scale. Data Synthesis: Of 263 studies identified, 12 were selected for our review and 10 were finally included as their methodological quality was good. In the meta-analysis, we calculated effect sizes of interventions on pain indicators and cortisol levels in patients with fibromyalgia. A small overall effect of all the interventions was observed on pain tolerance and pressure pain thresholds, yet this effect lacked significance (ES = 0.150; 95%CI 0.932–1.550; p > 0.05). Conclusions: While some effects of individual nonpharmacological therapeutic interventions were observed on both cortisol levels and measures of pain, our results suggest much further work is needed to elucidate the true relationship between chronic widespread pain and cortisol levels in patients with fibromyalgia.

PATHOGENESIS OF FIBROMYALGIA IN PATIENTS WITH AUTOIMMUNE DISEASES: SCOPING REVIEW FOR HYPOTHESIS GENERATION

Introduction: Fibromyalgia (FM) prevalence is much higher in patients with other rheumatic diseases than in the general population. This leads to increase in the perceived disease activity scores and prevents patients from reaching remission. Elucidating the pathogenesis of such “secondary” FM can help alleviate some unmet needs in these diseases. Methods: MEDLINE and Scopus databases were searched for a scoping review for hypothesis generation regarding the genesis of secondary FM. Results: FM has been postulated to be due to cytokine dysfunction, neurogenic neuroinflammation, stress, including social defeat, sleep disturbances, sympathetic overactivity, and small fibre neuropathy. These factors increase in most autoimmune and autoinflammatory diseases. Further the evidence for the role of these factors in the pathogenesis of FM is seems strong. Metabolic syndrome and mitochondrial dysfunction are also associated with FM, but it is difficult to distinguish between cause and effect. Conclusion: FM is the common phenotype arising from the amalgamation of various aetiologies. Recruitment or amplification of the above 6 factors by various rheumatic diseases may thus lead precipitation of secondary FM in susceptible individuals.

Elevated levels of inflammatory markers in women with rheumatoid arthritis

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune and progressive disease. Evidence indicates that inflammatory mediators may contribute to the genesis and/or evolution of this clinical condition. Thus, the objective was to evaluate and compare the plasma levels of Interleukin-17 (IL-17), Tumor Necrosis Factor-Alpha (TNF-α) and Complement 3 (C3) in women with RA and healthy controls (HC), as well as to evaluate the association them with the disease activity. 25 women with RA and 15 HC were recruited. Plasma levels of biomarkers were measured by ELISA. All statistical analyzes were performed with a significance level set at α = 0.05. In the women with RA, the median age was 55 and, in the HC, was 50 years. The median value of DAS-28 was 3.79. The plasma levels of IL-17 (p = .03), TNF-α (p ≤ 0.01) and C3 (p ≤ 0.01) were higher in women with RA. The ROC curve showed that TNF- α has a higher discriminating ability than IL-17 and C3. DAS-28 score correlated significantly with C3 levels in women with RA (r = 0.91; p < .01). These findings reaffirm the participation of the immune system in pathophysiology of RA, suggest that TNF-α levels may be a good biomarker and that elevated C3 levels contribute to the worsening of the disease.

Effects of aquatic physiotherapy or health education program in women with fibromyalgia: a randomized clinical trial

Background: Different treatments have been proposed for Fibromyalgia, but only few studies have compared their effects on multiples outcomes over time. Objective: The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of aquatic physiotherapy (AP) or a health education program (HEP) in a sample of women with Fibromyalgia (FM). Methods: Forty-six women with FM, aged between 25 and 60 years old, whose BMI was less than 30, were assigned to either AP (27 women) or HEP (19 women) groups in a blind randomized clinical trial lasting eleven weeks. Pain (McGill Pain questionnaire), fatigue (Piper Fatigue Scale-Revised), functional capability (Fibromyalgia Impact questionnaire), anxiety (Beck Anxiety Inventory), depression (Beck Depression Inventory) and quality of sleep (Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index) data were collected at baseline, after six weeks and post intervention. Two-factor mixed-model analysis of variance (ANOVAs) were used to examine the effects of the treatment on each outcome variable. Results: The AP and HEP interventions showed statistically significant within-group differences on all outcome measures except reducing the pain. Between-group differences was statistically significant only for impact of FM on the participant's life [F_(1.82,80.41) = 31,99; p ≤ 0.01] indicating that patients receiving HEP experienced a greater decrease in FIQ than those treated with AP. Conclusion: The findings do not allow to affirm that one intervention is superior to the other for the treatment of people with FM. Future studies should investigate whether the combination of HEP and PA can be effective and long-lasting.