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The Epidemiology and Prevalence of Fibromyalgia (FMS)

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Fibromyalgia

Abstract

Fibromyalgia (FMS) is a chronic disorder characterized by widespread musculoskeletal pain often accompanied by fatigue, headaches, sleep disturbance, and mood problems. Understanding the epidemiology of this chronic pain disorder is important in treating this patient population. The overall prevalence of FMS in the general population is about 2–4 %, and affects about five million Americans, with global prevalence seen in specialty clinics to be similar. There are limited data on incidence rates, with age-adjusted incidence rates estimated to be around seven cases per 1000 person-years for males and over 11 cases per 1000 person-years for females. FMS is more common in females, with a female-to-male ratio of about 7–9:1, and most patients are diagnosed sometime around the middle of life, though limited data suggest a 1–6 % prevalence in juveniles. The prevalence of FMS is greater among first-degree relatives, suggesting a genetic predisposition to the disease. The newer 2010 clinical case definition of FMS, classifies patients fairly consistently compared to the older 1990 American College of Rheumatology (ACR) criteria, without physical or tender point examination, and is thought to be especially useful in the longitudinal evaluation of patients with marked symptom variability. Patients with FMS use more medical services and have more difficulty with work productivity.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Anesthesiology, Pain Medicine, University of California San Diego, 9300 Campus Point Drive, Mail Code 7651, 92037, La Jolla, CA, USA

    Assistant Clinical Professor Jeffrey L. Chen MD, MHS, MS

  2. Department of Anesthesiology, Emory University Hospital, 550 Peachtree Street, 30308, Atlanta, GA, USA

    Assoc. Prof. Anne Marie McKenzie-Brown MD

Authors
  1. Assistant Clinical Professor Jeffrey L. Chen MD, MHS, MS
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  2. Assoc. Prof. Anne Marie McKenzie-Brown MD
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Jeffrey L. Chen MD, MHS, MS .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Voluntary Faculty, Department of Anesthesiology, Center for Pain Medicine, University of California San Diego,, Lexington, South Carolina, USA

    Erin Lawson, MD

  2. Professor of Clinical Anesthesiology,Chief, Division of Pain Medicine, Department of Anesthesiology, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA

    Mark S. Wallace, MD

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Chen, J., McKenzie-Brown, A. (2015). The Epidemiology and Prevalence of Fibromyalgia (FMS). In: Lawson, MD, E., Wallace, MD, M. (eds) Fibromyalgia. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-15820-4_1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-15820-4_1

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

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  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-15820-4

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