Photo Credit: Ekaterina Chizhevskaya

Disorders of gut-brain interaction (DGBI) were associated with increased fibromyalgia symptom severity in women, according to findings published in the European Journal of Pain. Sharon Erdrich and colleagues conducted a prospective, observational study of adult women with fibromyalgia and DGBI. A comprehensive survey included validated measures to identify DGBI (Rome IV) and assessed fibromyalgia severity, pain symptoms, sleep quality, QOL, mental health, and migraine. Statistical analyses included Spearman’s rho, Mann–Whitney U, Kruskal–Wallis, and chi-square tests. Of 111 participants, 98 (93%) met the criteria for at least one DGBI, and 67 (68%) met the criteria for more than one. All groups of DGBI and 11 specific DGBI showed significant associations with pain severity, fibromyalgia symptoms, sleep problems, and migraine (P<0.05). The severity of pain and fibromyalgia symptoms, including sleep disturbances, were also significantly associated with the functional bowel disorder severity index.