SN Comprehensive Clinical Medicine
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Published By Springer-Verlag

2523-8973

2022 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Omar M. E. Ali

Abstract Fibromyalgia is a debilitating chronic condition which poses a therapeutic challenge to the clinician. With a large backlog in patient flow subsequent to the COVID-19 pandemic and rising numbers of patients with post-acute sequelae of COVID-19 (PASC) presenting with fibromyalgia-like clinical features, there is an increasingly pressing need to identify broad cost-effective interventions. Low levels of vitamin D have previously been reported in patients with fibromyalgia, though any causative link has been difficult to establish. A systematic literature review on the association between vitamin D deficiency and fibromyalgia was performed examining retrospective evidence both for and against an association between vitamin D deficiency (VDD) and fibromyalgia and evaluating the therapeutic benefit from supplementation. A group of six studies were selected based on relevance, use of controls, quality of research and citations. Four primary studies assessing the prevalence of VDD in fibromyalgia patients versus controls were evaluated with a total 3,496 subjects. Three included females only and one larger study assessed males. Two (n = 313) concluded the presence of a statistically significant association, and two (n = 161) found none. Two randomised controlled trials assessing the effect of vitamin D supplementation in a total of 80 subjects found conflicting results, with pain reduction in one and none in the other. It is likely there exists an association between VDD deficiency and fibromyalgia in a large subset of patients, although establishing primary causation is difficult. There is a need for larger randomised controlled trial designs with more effective comparison with healthy subjects and control for confounding factors. Given VDD is a major problem in the general population, we recommend supplementation be recommended by healthcare professionals to fibromyalgia patients for the purpose of maintaining bone health given their potentially increased susceptibility to developing deficiency and its sequelae.


2022 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Bassel Bou Dargham ◽  
Julianna Kang ◽  
Joshua Gavin ◽  
Abhishek Nandan

2022 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Johnathon P. Harris ◽  
Christina A. Fleming ◽  
Muhammad F. Ullah ◽  
Emma McNamara ◽  
Stephen Murphy ◽  
...  

2022 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeff Rabin ◽  
Elaine Steffensen ◽  
Homer Martinez

2022 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Stevens ◽  
Amer Heider ◽  
Caroline T. Simon ◽  
Folafoluwa O. Odetola

2022 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Heiko Pohl ◽  
Andreas R. Gantenbein ◽  
Peter S. Sandor ◽  
Jean Schoenen ◽  
Colette Andrée

AbstractPatients with primary headache disorders such as cluster headache cycle between being entirely healthy and almost completely incapacitated. Sick leave or reduced performance due to headache attacks demands flexibility by their social counterparts. The objective of this study is to test the hypothesis that headache patients cause frustration that grows with the times colleagues have to take over their work. In this study, we analysed cluster headache patients’ answers to an online questionnaire. Participants self-reported their number of sick days, the number of days on which leisure activities were missed and whether they felt understood by colleagues and family. We then investigated the correlation between the number of sick days and the proportion of patients feeling understood by colleagues and friends. We found that feeling understood by colleagues and friends decreases with a growing number of sick days. However, when sick days accrue further, this proportion increases again. The number of sick days correlates similarly with both colleagues’ and friends’ understanding. The number of cluster headache patients feeling understood by others decreases with an increasing number of sick days. Their social circles’ frustration with the patients’ failure to meet obligations and expectations are a likely reason. With a growing number of sick days, however, the portion of patients feeling understood rises again despite patients meeting others’ expectations even less. This ‘comprehension paradox’ implies the influence of other factors. We suspect that growing numbers of sick days foster understanding as the disability of the disease becomes increasingly apparent.


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