| Telomere length linked to Fibromyalgia pain |
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International news
Thursday 23 May 2013
From Anesthesiology News:
 Telomere Length Linked to Fibromyalgia Pain
By Michael Vlessides
Pain Medicine, Issue: May 2013 | Volume: 39.5
Washington—Considered a marker for biological aging linked to increased risk for morbidity and mortality, shortened leukocyte telomere length now has been associated with pain in fibromyalgia, researchers at the University of Michigan have found. The investigators also found that shortened telomere length was directly related to evoked pain sensitivity and altered brain structure, suggesting that pain may accelerate cellular aging.
“Telomeres are protein complexes that cap and protect the ends of chromosomes,” said Afton L. Hassett, PsyD, associate research scientist in the Chronic Pain & Fatigue Research Center at the Ann Arbor institution. “Critically short telomeres put cells at risk for apoptosis and death.
“This is the first study to show that telomere length is associated with clinical pain alone, as well as experimental pain. I will also caution, however, that this was a highly exploratory study.”
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| Bloodspot-based diagnostic test for Fibromyalgia |
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International news
Wednesday 22 May 2013
From ProHealth:
 A Bloodspot-Based Diagnostic Test for Fibromyalgia
ProHealth.com • May 20, 2013
Editor's comment: This is the second study in six months to investigate a potential diagnostic blood test for fibromyalgia. The earlier study, published in December, 2012, measured cytokine levels and was able to distinguish FM patients from healthy controls. This study uses spectral and metabolomic analysis and was able to distinguish FM patients from patients with osteoarthritis or rheumatoid arthritis.
A bloodspot-based diagnostic test for fibromyalgia syndrome and related disorders
By Kevin V. Hackshaw, et al.
Abstract:
The aim of this study was to investigate the ability of a rapid biomarker-based method for diagnosis of fibromyalgia syndrome (FM) using mid-infrared microspectroscopy (IRMS) to differentiate patients with FM from those with osteoarthritis (OA) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA), and to identify molecular species associated with the spectral patterns.
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| Pain patients speak out at public forum |
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International news
Tuesday 21 May 2013
From the National Pain Report:
 Pain Patients Speak Out at Public Forum
May 19th, 2013 by Ed Coghlan
“You can’t let the pain win!”
That’s what a young woman in her late 20’s battling pain from a number of auto-immune diseases told a community forum in Pasadena, California.
Arlene Grau, who has rheumatoid arthritis, migraines, fibromyalgia and lupus, was part of a panel sponsored by KPCC Southern California Public Radio for a forum on pain called “Invisible Suffering.”
(You can hear the audio replay of the forum here)
Grau, who is a mother of two young girls, was very candid why she was willing to share her story.
“Pain patients need to hear that we can’t let the illnesses change who we are,” said Grau, who estimates she’s been hospitalized ten times in the last year.
When an audience member said, “No one should have to hurt this much,” Grau said it was important not let her anger about the chronic pain she suffers overwhelm her.
“I have good days and I have bad days,” Grau told the audience. “Enjoy the good days.”
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| Floored by ME – the condition that defies diagnosis |
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International news
Monday 20 May 2013
From Ireland's Galway City Tribune:
‘I couldn’t get out of bed,
except by holding onto
the
walls
to
get to
the
bathroom
or
the
sitting room.’
– Des Doherty
(Photo: Gerry Stronge)
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Floored by ME - the condition that defies diagnosis
May 17, 2013 - 7:00am
Lifestyle - Judy Murphy hears from sufferers of how they cope with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
Sleeping problems, headaches, and constant pain in my body like broken razor blades were being pulled through the inside of my veins,” is how Des Doherty from Woodlawn describes the impact of Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME) or Chronic Fatigue Syndrome on his life, when he was diagnosed with the condition in 2006.
He was 50 years old, and had previously been ill with shingles, which left him feeling distinctly unwell.
“I got them in 2004 on my waist and back and was off work for six weeks,” says Des, who worked as a postman in Menlough. Although the shingles lifted, he continued to suffer from flu-like symptoms and had no energy, but didn’t know what the problem was, so he just kept going. Two years later, the shingles returned, this time affecting his face. Again he was off work, but returned after a month. However, he was floored.
“I couldn’t do anything. I went to my doctor and told him I wasn’t feeling good. He diagnosed a virus, related to my immune system.”
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| Interview with Professor Julia Newton |
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International news
Sunday 19 May 2013
From ProHealth:
An Interview With Julia Newton, Founding Member of Newly Launched CFS/ME Research Collaborative
By Clark Ellis • ProHealth.com • May 16, 2013
Dr. Julia Newton is one of the founding members of the recently launched UK CFS/ME Research Collaborative (UK CMRC), a new initiative aimed at expanding medical studies into ME/CFS, by bringing together experts in the field and several of the ME/CFS charities in the UK.
Dr. Newton is Dean for Clinical Medicine at Newcastle University in the United Kingdom. She is also Clinical Professor of Ageing and Medicine at Newcastle University and a Consultant at the Royal Victoria Infirmary within the Newcastle Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. She is highly respected in her field, possesses a wide range of skills and has won awards for her communication skills, scientific presenting, teaching and innovation.
Dr. Newton kindly took the time to answer some questions about the new collaborative and her research activities.
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| New Canadian guidelines for treating Fibromyalgia |
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International news
Saturday 18 May 2013
From ProHealth:
 New Canadian Guidelines for Treating Fibromyalgia
ProHealth.com • May 16, 2013
Physicians from the McGill University Health Centre (MUHC), McGill University and the University of Calgary have published a review article in the CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal) to help family doctors diagnose and treat fibromyalgia. The article represents the first time researchers have published Canadian guidelines to help manage the condition.
[Download full text of CMAJ review article “Fibromyalgia: evolving concepts over the past 2 decades”]
Fibromyalgia is a chronic condition that affects the central nervous system causing pain throughout the body. It is often accompanied by fatigue, depression and sleep problems. It affects mostly women and their multiple symptoms often go years without a proper diagnosis and treatment.
"One million Canadians have fibromyalgia and the time has come to take their suffering seriously. This is a real condition that greatly impacts patients and their families. Finally there are national guidelines to help diagnose and treat this syndrome," says Dr. John Pereira, a study co-author from the University of Calgary’s Faculty of Medicine and a physician at the Calgary Chronic Pain Centre.
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| Research team in bid to solve chronic fatigue riddle |
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Australian news
Friday 17 May 2013
From New Zealand's TVNZ ONE News:
(Source: ONE News)
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Research team in bid to solve chronic fatigue riddle
Published: 5:18PM Wednesday May 15, 2013
Source: AAP
A Gold Coast research team is making world-leading progress that could change the lives of people with chronic fatigue syndrome.
Chief investigator Professor Sonya Marshall-Gradisnik believes they are on track to find scientific signals for the disease, which at present is diagnosed through a convoluted process of elimination.
"We have two objectives," she says, "to find the biological markers and identify where the condition originates."
The research has already led to several clues about how the disease develops.
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