Fibromyalgia - An Emerging but Controversial Condition - 2014 JAMA Update

Fibromyalgia is not a rheumatological disease but a central pain syndrome. It is a complicated condition that tends to last a long time, although people do get better.

The syndrome termed fibromyalgia or fibrositis has attracted the interest of investigators for quite some time. Although some authors believe that fibromyalgia is not a discrete condition, rheumatologists now report that fibromyalgia is one of the most common diagnoses in ambulatory practice. Recent estimates of the prevalence of fibromyalgia in the United States have ranged from 3 to 6 million.

This JAMA video introduces a free review article on fibromyalgia from April 2014



What is fibromyalgia?

Fibromyalgia can be thought of as a centralized pain state. Centralized pain is a lifelong disorder beginning in adolescence or young adulthood manifested by pain experienced in different body regions at different times.

How common is fibromyalgia?

Fibromyalgia is present in as much as 2% to 8% of the population, is characterized by widespread pain, and is often accompanied by fatigue, memory problems, and sleep disturbances.

How to treat fibromyalgia?

Numerous treatments are available for managing fibromyalgia that are supported by high-quality evidence:

- nonpharmacological therapies (education, exercise, cognitive behavioral therapy)
- pharmacological therapies (tricyclics, serotonin norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors, and gabapentinoids)

Free content from JAMA:

JAMA | Fibromyalgia:  A Clinical Review http://buff.ly/1qH5ITI
JAMA Patient Page | Fibromyalgia http://buff.ly/1qH5HiH

Related reading:

Fibromyalgia is not a rheumatological disease but a central pain syndrome http://buff.ly/1qH4CaH
JAMA Network | JAMA | Fibromyalgia Syndrome:  An Emerging but Controversial Condition http://buff.ly/1m6Dv9w

Why are e-cigarettes so controversial? The Economist video

E-cigarette sales are soaring and American regulators recently announced rules for them. Some health advocates laud them, others are more anxious:



And here is an alternative "universe": Austria - a smokers' paradise (DW video). Smoking among teens and young people is a major problem in Austria. A current study shows that the country tops the EU for young smokers. About 25 percent of Austrian teens under age 15 smoke at least once a week. The high smoking rate is exacerbated by the country's inconsistent non-smoker protection legislation, which allows for numerous exceptions. However, one Austrian citizen has set out to change that by making sure that the laws that do exist are enforced properly. He's already reported about 7,000 violations to the authorities: