Evidence for similarity in symptoms and mechanism: The extra ‐pulmonary symptoms of severe asthma and the polysymptomatic presentation of fibromyalgia

ConclusionsPatients with severe asthma have numerous extra ‐pulmonary symptoms similar in type and pattern to the symptoms of fibromyalgia. The similarity of the symptom pattern between asthma and fibromyalgia increases as the number of extra‐pulmonary symptoms increases as predicted by network theory and previously shown to be the case with other funct ional disorders. These findings support the hypothesis that functional disorders and extra‐pulmonary asthma symptoms have a common complexity or network aetiology. Evidence based behavioural interventions for fibromyalgia may be helpful for patients with severe asthma reporting extra‐pulmonary symptoms.
Source: Immunity, Inflammation and Disease - Category: Allergy & Immunology Authors: Tags: ORIGINAL RESEARCH Source Type: research