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Body mass index and response to a multidisciplinary treatment of fibromyalgia

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Abstract

The purpose of this study is to determine whether there are some differences in the treatment responses to a multidisciplinary fibromyalgia (FM) treatment related with the baseline body mass index (BMI) of the participants. Inclusion criteria consisted of female sex, a diagnosis of FM (American College of Rheumatology criteria), age between 18 and 60 years, and between 3 and 8 years of schooling. Baseline BMI was determined, and patients were randomly assigned to one of the two treatment conditions: conventional pharmacologic treatment or multidisciplinary treatment. Outcome measures were pain intensity, functionality, catastrophizing, psychological distress, health-related quality of life, and sleep disturbances. One hundred thirty patients participated in the study. No statistical significant differences regarding pre-treatment outcomes were found among the different BMI subgroups, and between the two experimental conditions for each BMI category. General linear model analysis showed a significant interaction group treatment × time in pain intensity (p < .01), functionality (p < .0001), catastrophizing (p < .01), psychological distress (p < .0001), sleep index problems (p < .0001), and health-related quality of life (p < .05). No significant interactions were found in BMI × time, and in BMI × group treatment × time. There are not differences among normal weight, overweight and obese patients with FM regarding their response to a multidisciplinary treatment programme for FM which combines pharmacological treatment, education, physical therapy and cognitive behavioural therapy.

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Acknowledgments

We would like to thank Marta Salvat, Patricia Zaldívar and Eva Luque, scholarships holder in our unit, for their efficient collaboration in the project. We would also like to thank all the participants for their collaboration and patience, without whom we would not have been able to accomplish this study. Supported by the Foundation Marató TV3 Grant Number 070910.

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None of the authors have any conflict of interests.

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Correspondence to Antoni Castel.

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Castel, A., Castro, S., Fontova, R. et al. Body mass index and response to a multidisciplinary treatment of fibromyalgia. Rheumatol Int 35, 303–314 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00296-014-3096-x

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