The symptoms of fibromyalgia are varied, including general muscle pain and pain at specific points (also called tender points), excessive fatigue, anxiety, depression, and some psychological problems that can have a negative impact on quality of life. Physical activity is a widely used option by health professionals to alleviate the effects of this syndrome. However, there is no clear information on the possible mediating role of physical activity in the relationship between fibromyalgia-related fatigue and quality of life. Therefore, this study aims to evaluate the relationship between fibromyalgia-related fatigue and quality of life, and to investigate the mediating role of physical activity in patients with this syndrome. Methods: In a cross-sectional study, 237 Portuguese women aged 28 to 75 years (M = 49.12; SD ± 8.87) and 117 Brazilian women aged 20 to 69 years (M = 46.72; SD ± 8.38) were recruited to participate in this study. These patients completed three valid and reliable questionnaires related to the assessment of fibromyalgia-related fatigue (MDF-Fibro-17), physical activity (IPAQ), and quality of life (SF-36). Results: Both samples had scores above the midpoint for all dimensions of fibromyalgia-related fatigue and scores below the midpoint for quality of life. Physical activity had no mediating effect in either sample, as the total indirect effect was not significant. Conclusions: Physical activity does not mediate the relationship between fatigue and quality of life. However, the results also show that the fatigue dimensions associated with fibromyalgia had a negative and significant association with physical and mental health indicators in both samples. Thus, patients with FM with higher scores on fatigue-related symptoms might suffer more from physical and mental health, both of which are related to quality of life.

The Multidimensional Daily Diary of Fatigue-Fibromyalgia-17 (MDF-fibro-17) is an instrument that measures the different components of fibromyalgia-related fatigue symptoms. The current study aims to examine the factor structure of the MDF-fibro-17 in a sample of Portuguese and Brazilian patients diagnosed with fibromyalgia. Additionally, a cross-cultural analysis was carried out on these samples to understand the multidimensional complexity of examining the different dimensions of fatigue in patients with different cultural backgrounds and how fibromyalgia impacts patients with this syndrome. A confirmatory factor analysis was performed to examine the psychometric properties of the measure. Additionally, a multigroup analysis was carried out on the samples of these two cultures to examine measurement invariance. In total, 209 Portuguese women aged between 21 and 75 years (M = 47.44; SD = 10.73) and 429 Brazilians women aged between 16 and 77 years (M = 46.51; SD = 9.24) participated in this study. The results revealed that the measurement model provided an acceptable fit to the data in both the Portuguese and Brazilian samples, also displaying acceptable convergent and discriminant validity. In addition, the model showed acceptable internal consistency and was invariant between cultures. In sum, the MDF-fibro-17 is a valid measure that offers a unique assessment of fatigue symptoms in Portuguese and Brazilian women with fibromyalgia.

Fibromyalgia affects skeletal muscles presenting with muscle stiffness, pain, and fatigue. The exercise practice is wellstabilized and suggested for the reduction of symptoms. However, there are some gaps in the literature related to balance and neuromuscular performance in a strength training protocol. The aim of this study is to structure a protocol to verify the effects of strength training applied over a short period, on balance, neuromuscular performance, and fibromyalgia symptoms. Additionally, we intend to analyze the effects of a short period of cessation of training. Participants will be recruited through flyers, internet advertisements, clinical referrals, health professionals, and email outreach. Volunteers will be randomly assigned to the control group or experimental group. Before the training period, symptoms (Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire, Visual Analog Scale), balance (force plate), and neuromuscular performance (medicine ball throw and vertical jump) will be assessed. Participants in the experimental group will perform strength training twice a week (50 min each), on alternate days, for 8 weeks (16 sessions). Then, 4 weeks of detraining will be completed. This training program will be carried out online, using real-time videos, and the participants will be divided into two groups with different schedules. The Borg scale will be used to monitor perceived effort in each session. There is a gap in the literature about exercise prescriptions for fibromyalgia. The supervised online intervention enables a wide range of participation. The strength exercises used (without the use of external materials and/or machines) and load (few repetitions per set) represent a novelty to training programming. Moreover, this training program respects the limitations and individuality of the volunteers, providing exercise adaptations. With positive results, the present protocol could be an easy-to-apply guideline with clear instructions on the details related to exercise prescription. Also, ensure the effectiveness of a low-cost and feasible treatment, especially for fibromyalgia patients.Clinical trial registrationhttps://clinicaltrials.gov/, identifier: NCT05646641.

Background and Objectives: Fibromyalgia are heterogeneous and differ from patient to patient; however, the most reported are general myalgia and at specific points associated with fatigue and certain psychological adversities. Physical activity can mitigate the effects of the symptoms. However, the associations between fibromyalgia-related fatigue, self-esteem, anxiety, depression, satisfaction with life and physical activity are unclear. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to understand the associations between these symptoms and whether there are differences between these associations across two distinct cultures. Materials and Methods: A total of 473 women aged between 28 and 75 years (M = 49.27 ± SD8.28) completed five questionnaires about fibromyalgia-related fatigue, physical activity, anxiety, depression, self-esteem, and satisfaction with life. Results: Fibromyalgia-related fatigue was positively associated with depression and anxiety, depression and anxiety were negatively associated with self-esteem, self-esteem was positively associated with satisfaction with life, satisfaction with life was positively associated with physical activity and there were no differences in terms of the perceptions and associations of these variables between Portuguese and Brazilian patients. Conclusion: Our results showed the significant role of associations between these variables and a similarity in the perception and relationship of the variables between the two cultures.

The aim of the study was to explore the differences between Brazilian and Portuguese patients with fibromyalgia (FM) syndrome in their experience of fatigue, and to measure differences in the perception of fatigue as a function of age and duration of the diagnosis. In total, 209 Portuguese women aged between 21 and 75 years (M = 47.44; SD = 10.73) and 429 Brazilian women aged between 18 and 77 years (M = 46.51; SD = 9.24) were recruited to participate in the present study. Participants completed the Multidimensional Daily Diary of Fatigue-Fibromyalgia-17 items (MDF-Fibro-17), a specific tool to measure the level of five components of FM-related fatigue. Results showed greater perception of all the components of fatigue in the Brazilian sample. No significant differences were found related to age and duration of FM diagnosis. The multifaceted nature of FM and cultural differences suggests that individualized treatment programs may be necessary to reduce fatigue-related symptoms in patients with this syndrome.

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Background: Recent reports have shown that bone marrow-derived stem cell may contribute to islet regeneration. The goal of our study was to evaluate the safety and efficacy of ABMMC transplantation for patients with IDM. Methods: From June 2005 to January 2007, 28 consecutive patients: 8 Type 1 IDM (T1DM) and 20 Type 2 IDM (T2IDM); who were receiving maximal medical therapy including insulin treatment for 5 years before enrollment. Median time of disease for T2IDM patients was 13 years, without pancreatic islet auto-antibodies. After IRB approval and signed informed consent, bone marrow was harvested and ABMMC were isolated and infused directly into the pancreas via splenic artery using endovascular catheters. Glucose, glycosylated HbA1c and C peptide were measure before and after transplantation. HOMA2 Calculator v2.2 was used to calculated IR and % B (*if Glucose: 3.0 to 25.0 mmol/L and C peptide: 0.2 to 3.5 nmol/L). Results: There were no study related complications. At 1 year follow-up, mean daily insulin requirement was the same in group T1DM and significantly reduced in group T2IDM, from 42.5 to 4.5 U/d (t=7.94, p<0.001). Ten of the twenty (50%) T2IDM established complete insulin independence. Data in table 1. Table 1: Median values PRE POST t p T2IDM (n=20) Fasting Glucose (mmol/L) 10.8 6.6 3.98 0.01 Glycosylated HbA1c (%) 9.6 8.1 3.98 0.01 C peptide (nmol/L) 0.5 0.84 5.11 < 0.01 HOMA 2 IR (n=17)* 2.2 2.26 0.94 0.92 HOMA 2 %B (n=17)* 42.4 130.2 4.9 < 0.01 T1DM (n=8) Fasting Glucose (mmol/L) 10.1 11.1 1.382 0.21 Glycosylated HbA1c (%) 8.7 8.7 0.45 0.66 C peptide (nmol/L) 0.17 0.16 1.00 0.35 Conclusions: The use of ABMMC transplantation for T1DM and T2IDM is safe. In this pilot study, only T2IDM patients have significant improvement in pancreatic function demostrated by better glycemic and HbA1c control, and are associated with a significant independence of the insulin. This has formed for a randomized multi-center study which is currently in progress.