Nocebo Effect

Despite the placebo effect’s long history in medicine — not to mention the critical role placebo plays in randomized trials — the mechanism driving it remains poorly understood.

Leonard Calabrese, DO, chief medical editor of Healio Rheumatology, offered a breakdown of the July issue, including the cover story delving into the issue of interchangeable biosimilar switching.

As many as 50% of patients prescribed statins take reduced or no doses due to perceived statin intolerance, but the actual prevalence of statin intolerance is less than 10%, according to a meta-analysis of more than 4 million patients.

Statins and placebo triggering symptoms in patients with past statin intolerance.

Patients who developed symptoms within 2 weeks of statin initiation reported similar side effects while on placebo, suggesting a large proportion of burden owed to the nocebo effect, according to findings from the SAMSON trial.

Participants in rheumatoid arthritis clinical trials who received a placebo exhibited meaningful gains in objective and subjective outcomes, indicating that placebo responses represent more than a psychological effect, researchers noted.