According to an article published in Medical News Today, patients with fibromyalgia may be at a higher risk of suicide, accidents, and infections. In a new systematic review and meta-analysis published by Treister-Goltzman and Peleg in RMD Open, investigators reviewed data from eight studies to examine the association between fibromyalgia and mortality. The investigators found that the increased risk of suicide among patients with fibromyalgia may be influenced by the constant pain associated with the condition as well as the dismissal of their symptoms by physicians. Further, the investigators noted that the higher rate of accidents among these patients may be caused by fatigue, poor sleep, and concentration difficulties; and the increased risk of infections by the increased activity of pain-sensing nerves. However, the investigators highlighted that patients with fibromyalgia may have a lower rate of cancer mortality, and that more interactions with the health-care system may lead to earlier cancer detection. “Our review provides further proof that [patients with] fibromyalgia should be taken seriously, with particular focus on screenings for suicidal ideation, prevention of accidents, and prevention and treatment of infections,” concluded Yulia Treister-Goltzman, MD, MPH, PhD, Professor of Health Sciences in the Department of Family Medicine at the Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Israel; and Roni Peleg, MD, Professor of Health Sciences in the Department of Family Medicine at the Ben-Gurion University of the Negev.
July 20, 2023