Bone mineral density in fibromyalgia patients – correlation to disease activity

Abstract

Objective: To compare bone mass (BMD) in women with fibromyalgia (FM) with healthy females, and to evaluate whether self‐reported pain and lack of functional capacity correlate to reduced BMD in FM patients.

Methods: Thirty‐one FM patients (20 pre‐ and 11 postmenopausal) and fourty‐one healthy women (30 pre‐ and 10 postmenopausal) were enrolled in the study.

BMD of the lumbar spine and the femoral neck was measured by a DEXA (Norland) scanner. Self reported pain was measured on a Visual Analog Scale (VAS). The Activity of Daily Living (ADL) component of the Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (FIQ‐ADL) was used as measure for physical capacity.

Results: BMD‐lumbar spine and BMD‐femoral neck did not differ significantly between FM patients and controls, though premenopausal FM patients tended to have lower BMD‐femoral neck (p=0.09). Selfreported pain and FIQ‐ADL among FM patients correlated with BMD‐femoral neck (r_s=−0.52, p=0.003); (r_s=−0.31, p=0.09).

Conclusion: Premenopausal FM patients tended to have lower BMD of hip than controls. Selfreported pain correlated negatively to BMD. Thus, the severity of FM might have a negative impact on bone mass.

• bone mineral density
• fibromyalgia
• physical activity
• pain
• severity
• FIQ