New treatment for fibromyalgia( ust over a third of the patients--38 pe...)

ust over a third of the patients--38 percent--had been diagnosed with depression. On a random basis, the patients were prescribed one of two treatments for a course of 12 weeks. About half, 104 individuals, received 60 milligrams of duloxetine twice a day. The remaining 103 patients were given a placebo. Both groups were evaluated and scored, using the Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire and other standard measures, for improvements in their condition.

In various measures of disease--from pervasive pain to tiredness to tenderness--the female fibromyalgia patients treated with duloxetine improved significantly over those treated with a placebo. One of the most dramatic changes was in the reduction of the number of tender points--places on the body where it hurts to touch--and the increase of pressure pain threshold. Women with or without depression receiving duloxetine benefited emotionally and physically, reporting improvements in general mood, ability to function, and overall enjoyment of life.

For the study's 23 men, however, duloxetine did little to change their condition. Although researchers reported some evidence of improvement in tender point measures among duloxetine-treated men over their placebo-treated counterparts, it was not statistically significant. "The reasons for the sex differences in response are unclear," Dr. Arnold observes. "Because the male subgroup was small, reflecting the much higher prevalence of fibromyalgia in women, the results of the study may not be generalizable to all men with fibromyalgia. There may also be sex differences in fibromyalgia that affect treatment response."

As Dr. Arnold notes, further research is needed on larger samples of not only men but also other groups with fibromyalgia to evaluate duloxetine's effectiveness.

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Contact: Amy Molnar
amolnar@wiley.com
201-748-8844
John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
9-Sep-2004

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