While some people with fibromyalgia believe they are sensitive to climate change, a new Dutch study proves otherwise. The weather would not affect the symptoms associated with this chronic disease, which manifests as widespread pain, severe fatigue, sleep disturbances, and possibly other signs that can make diagnosis difficult.
The study, published in the journal Arthritis Care & Research, reports an experiment involving around 350 women with fibromyalgia, aged 47 and diagnosed for two years. The researchers noted the participants’ signs of pain and fatigue for 28 days, while taking into account climatic conditions (temperature, precipitation, length of daylight, pressure and humidity), reported by the Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute.
The weather had a limited effect on pain or fatigue in 10% of cases. Small differences between the reactions of patients to climate change were also noted in 20% of cases.
The researchers say the differences in the responses of study participants do not appear to be climate related. They added, however, that further research including more details about patients, such as personality and pain perception, should be conducted.
