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Inverse correlation seen between symptoms, fitness level in women with FM
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In a study of women with fibromyalgia in southern Spain, physical fitness was inversely correlated with symptom severity, according to data from the al-Ándalus project.
Researchers studied 444 women who were previously diagnosed with fibromyalgia (FM) by a rheumatologist based on the 1990 American College of Rheumatology criteria. Patients were excluded in the presence of acute or terminal illness or severe cognitive dysfunction.
The study consisted of a day of FM assessment and a second day of physical fitness assessment. On day 1, patients were evaluated to confirm FM diagnosis. A sociodemographic questionnaire was administered, and body composition and BMI were evaluated. To assess FM symptom severity, patients self-reported on the Spanish version of the Revised Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (FIQR).
On day 2, a series of physical fitness tests were administered, including the Functional Senior Fitness test and handgrip strength test. Flexibility was measured with a chair sit-and-reach test and a back scratch test. Handgrip strength was determined with a digital dynamometer, and lower-body strength was assessed with the 30-second chair stand test. An arm-curl test measured upper-body strength, and motor agility was measured with an “8 feet up and go” test. Aerobic fitness was assessed with a 6-minute walk test, and a global fitness profile was developed with the scores from each test.
Linear regression was used to analyze the correlation between physical fitness and FM symptom severity, and other models were used to adjust for variables such as age, percentage of body fat, time since diagnosis, occupational status, and the use of analgesics anticonvulsants and antidepressants.
Higher levels of physical fitness were consistently and significantly associated with lower FIQR scores in all types of fitness tests in a linear trend, according to the researchers. Patients with the highest levels of fitness showed lower FM symptoms severity than participants with the lowest level of physical fitness.
The 6-minute walk test and the back scratch tests were the only tests that were independently associated with FM severity with or without adjustments for variables, according to the researchers. - by Shirley Pulawski
Disclosure: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.
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