Researchers develop blood test for diagnosing fibromyalgia

New Delhi: Diagnosing the chronic pain condition, fibromyalgia, could be made easier by a blood test developed by researchers in a new study.

They said the test can isolate and analyse specific chemical signals in the blood that could help differentiate the condition from other rheumatic diseases and long Covid, all of which present similar symptoms.

The researchers, led by The University of Texas, US, said that the blood test was a step forward in accurately diagnosing fibromyalgia and personalising treatment for patients.

The study, published in the journal Biomedicines, would also open up new avenues for research into the pathology and clinical care of the chronic condition, they said. Fibromyalgia is characterised by widespread muscle pain and fatigue, sleep disturbances, and mood and cognitive changes.

"This tool is fast, accurate and non-invasive, and can easily be integrated into the clinical environment to improve the quality of life of patients with fibromyalgia," said study author Silvia de Lamo Castellvi, a researcher from the Chemical Engineering Department of Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Spain.

For the study, the researchers collected blood samples from three different groups of people - those diagnosed with fibromyalgia, those with similar rheumatic diseases and those without any of these conditions (controls).

The samples were then "illuminated" using Raman spectroscopy, which involves using a special laser light to study how molecules in blood, such as amino acids, reacted to it.

Based on these interactions, the researchers discerned differences in the chemical characteristics of the blood samples from all these groups.

The results highlighted that "chemical signatures" of amino acid molecules in blood could distinguish fibromyalgia from other diseases, they said.

The test is currently undergoing validation and could be available at health centres in about two years' time, according to the researchers.