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I have fibromyalgia and my sister has rheumatoid arthritis. Is there any chance either of us would develop the other problem (I get the arthritis on top of my fibro and she gets fibro on top of her arthritis)? Is there a blood test that might show if we are at risk?
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Both of these conditions are systemic -- meaning they affect more than just muscles and joints. There can be organ involvement, changes in circulation, immune, and nervous system function, and most likely hormonal influences. Both problems tend to occur in women more than men (one of the reasons scientists think there is a hormonal link).
The question of whether you might develop rheumatoid arthritis and your sister fibromyalgia has been addressed on a limited basis. Scientists hope to be able to predict who among patients with rheumatoid arthritis might be at risk for fibromyalgia. If predictive risk factors can be discovered, there may be a way to eliminate (or alter) the factors. The goal would be to prevent fibromyalgia in this already compromised patient group.
One way to do this is to collect as much information as possible on patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) who don't already have fibromyalgia. Then the group is followed over time to see who develops fibromyalgia. An analysis of the two groups (group one with RA but no fibromyalgia and group two with RA and fibromyalgia) can help shed some light on why the group did develop fibromyalgia.
In a recent study, extensive data collected on 9739 patients with rheumatoid arthritis included their age, sex (male versus female), education level and occupation, income, and marital status. Number of years they had the arthritis was factored in along with their body mass index (BMI), smoking (tobacco use) history, and any psychologic problems such as depression, anxiety, or other mood disorders.
Symptoms (how many, what type, how intense, and how often) were tallied up. Any other illnesses (e.g., diabetes, heart disease, cancer), medications, activity level, previous surgeries, and patient reported (but not tested) fitness level were also recorded. Information on sleep and sleep disturbances and the number of visits to their doctors was also collected.
They found that men and women with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) developed fibromyalgia in equal numbers, so sex (male versus female) didn't seem to be a factor. Other demographic factors (education, income, marital status and so on) by themselves did not predict fibromyalgia in RA patients. But if demographics were combined with severity of RA or risk factors for fibromyalgia (mood, BMI, fatigue, stress), then the odds increased for developing fibromyalgia for patients with RA.
Depression (mood), BMI associated with obesity, and poor fitness with limited exercise are predictive factors for fibromyalgia in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. These are all modifiable risk factors, which means there is something we can do to change the risk.
Calculating your specific risk of developing fibromyalgia if you have rheumatoid arthritis hasn't been developed yet. Once a prediction model is complete, then testing will be done to see how accurate the model is before introducing it to the world at large. There are blood tests that help identify rheumatoid arthritis but not fibromyalgia.
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*Disclaimer:*The information contained herein is compiled from a variety of sources. It may not be complete or timely. It does not cover all diseases, physical conditions, ailments or treatments. The information should NOT be used in place of visit with your healthcare provider, nor should you disregard the advice of your health care provider because of any information you read in this topic. |
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