A research team from the University of Galveston (Texas) has found that fibromyalgia patients show symptoms of insulin resistance in patients with type-2 Diabetes occurs. A Diabetes drug reduced their chronic pain drastically.
The scientists had divided fibromyalgia patients in different age groups and their long-term blood sugar value "HbA1c" with the of healthy people of the same age were compared. Have you found that the HbA1clevels in the two groups difference: about half of the fibromyalgia patients was in the normal range, however, was higher than in the age-matched control group.
The HbA1cvalue than "Langzeitwert" for blood sugar control in diabetic patients and is also increased in people with a Diabetes precursor, in which insulin resistance is present. After the fibromyalgia patients received a drug to combat insulin resistance, the standard drug Metformin reduced their pain significantly.
"Previous studies have shown that insulin resistance causes a malfunction in the small blood vessels of the brain. Since this Problem also exists in fibromyalgia, we investigated whether the insulin resistance ist" the missing link in this disease;, Dr. Miguel Pappolla, Professor of neurology said. "We have shown that the most – if not all of the – Patients with fibromyalgia by their HbA1clevels can be identified."
Fibromyalgia is one of the most common chronic pain disorders. Despite extensive research the cause of fibromyalgia is yet unknown. Therefore, there is but pain-relieving drugs there are no specific diagnoses or therapies. Pappolla now believes that the discovery of his team could lead to a shift in the treatment of fibromyalgia and related forms of chronic pain.
ZOU