Correlation between demographic and clinical variables and fibromyalgia severity.

INTRODUCTION Fibromyalgia (FM) is a rheumatic condition characterized by a picture of generalized chronic pain, hyperalgesia and allodynia. Symptoms such as fatigue, sleep disorders, morning stiffness, headache and paresthesia can also be present. It is also associated with other comorbidities, such as depression, anxiety, irritable bowel syndrome, myofascial pain syndrome and nonspecific urethral syndrome. Few studies have addressed the evolution of FM, especially regarding medium and long-term evolution, such as why some patients do better than others, despite the fact of being submitted to the same treatment. OBJECTIVE To determine whether there is a correlation between demographic and clinical variables and FM severity. MATERIAL AND METHODS Sixty women who met the classification criteria for FM of the American College of Rheumatology of 1990 were divided into three groups, according to the severity established by the Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (FIQ): severe (70-100), moderate (50 to 70) and mild (0 to 50). RESULTS Nine demographic and clinical variables were assessed, with a significant difference (P <0.05) being observed only in the groups showing higher FIQ scores with the presence of depression and workers' compensation interests. CONCLUSION The impact of FM measured by the FIQ is directly correlated with the severity of depression and the presence of workers' compensation interests.