Impact of Pregabalin on Work Interference in Fibromyalgia
Author Information
Author(s): Sebastian Straube, Andrew R. Moore, Jocelyn Paine, Sheena Derry, Ceri J. Phillips, Ernst Hallier, Henry J. McQuay
Primary Institution: University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
Hypothesis
Does treatment with pregabalin improve work interference in patients with fibromyalgia?
Conclusion
Effective pain treatment goes along with benefit regarding work, with significant reductions in time off work for patients with good pain responses.
Supporting Evidence
- Patients on pregabalin showed greater improvement in work missed compared to placebo.
- Those with at least 50% pain improvement gained about one day of work per week.
- Patients achieving low pain scores at trial end had the largest reductions in work interference.
Takeaway
This study shows that taking pregabalin can help people with fibromyalgia go to work more often by reducing their pain.
Methodology
Meta-analysis of individual patient data from four large trials of pregabalin for fibromyalgia lasting 8-14 weeks.
Potential Biases
Potential bias due to the retrospective nature of the analysis and reliance on self-reported data.
Limitations
The analysis is retrospective and only hypothesis-generating; questionnaires used were not validated for this specific analysis.
Participant Demographics
Patients aged 18-82 years, predominantly women (over 90%).
Statistical Information
P-Value
p<0.0001
Statistical Significance
p<0.0001
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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