According to new research, published in ACR Open Rheumatology, for about three-fourth of obese patients with fibromyalgia, marked caloric restriction resulted in 30% or greater reduction in symptom severity within 3 weeks.

The results from the study support the hypothesis that caloric restriction may have some analgesic effect independent of weight loss. The investigators used an ongoing weight management program at the University of Michigan for people with obesity, and identified 195 participants scoring at least 4 on Fibromyalgia Survey Criteria (FSC) at baseline. These individuals agreed to a liquid meal replacement diet giving not more than 800 kcal a day, which was to continue for 12 weeks. The primary analysis was done after 3 weeks, with secondary outcomes evaluated in 119 participants who continued with the 12-week course.

At week 3, participants had lost on average around 5.6% of body weight, with mean FSC scores dropping from 8.39 at baseline to 4.78. There was a symptom reduction of at least 30% in 72% of the participants… (Medpage Today)