Fibromyalgia Linked to Deficiencies in RBC Magnesium, IGF-1

NATIONAL HARBOR, MD — Patients with fibromyalgia show deficiencies in red blood cell (RBC) magnesium and insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1), a small study shows, suggesting potential clues to underpinnings of the condition and avenues for treatment.

In a condition that is challenging to treat and complicated by the subjectivity of pain, identifying such deficiencies can represent important, objective measures of abnormalities with definable treatment goals, lead author Thomas J. Romano, MD, PhD, a pain specialist based in Martins Ferry, Ohio, told Medscape Medical News.

"Fibromyalgia is a disorder that is notoriously devoid of objective markers," he said.

"In identifying a comorbidity that can be objectively verified, you can let patients know that one of the reasons they could be having problems is because of these abnormal levels. Restoring those levels to where they should be, we have found, can truly turn people's lives around — they have more stamina and more energy," Dr Romano said....

Learn more: http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/851314

A small study shows deficiencies in red blood cell magnesium and insulin-like growth factor 1 in patients with fibromyalgia and reflects growing interest in the role of hormones and endocrine factors in chronic pain.