Profile of patients with fibromyalgia being treated in primary care centers in Terrassa, a city in northeastern Spain.

OBJECTIVE

To perform an extensive clinical and epidemiological characterization of our fibromyalgia patients.

PATIENTS, MATERIAL, AND METHOD: Two-year observational study in 3 primary care centers in Terrassa, Spain. We recruited a sample of 235 individuals diagnosed with fibromyalgia being treated in primary care or rheumatology clinics who, when offered inclusion in a multidisciplinary program, agreed to provide the initial data we requested. The main measures were sociodemographic data, unhealthy habits and physical activity, comorbidities, treatment for fibromyalgia, Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (FIQ), Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), and a family functioning scale (family APGAR).

MAIN

RESULTS

In all, 97.8% were women and the average age was 54.6 years. Most of the patients had a primary school education and the majority was on sick leave. Ninety-four percent had associated comorbidity and only 3% were not taking any medication for their disease. Many were taking drugs with no proven efficacy in fibromyalgia. The majority had intermediate scores on the FIQ, the HADS showed that 63% and 53% had an anxious and/or probable depressive disorder, respectively, and, according to the family APGAR score, 62% received proper family support.

CONCLUSIONS

In agreement with the literature, the major findings in our fibromyalgia patients were a marked predominance of women, a high incidence of comorbidities-mainly psychiatric disorders-a moderate impact of the disease and widespread use of drugs with no demonstrated efficacy.