Fibromyalgia: a risk factor for osteoporosis.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate associations of bone mineral density (BMD) and osteoporosis in patients with fibromyalgia (FM) and healthy controls.


METHODS
Twenty-four women meeting the American College of Rheumatology criteria for FM (23 Caucasians, one Asian) were each compared to 2 age (+/-3 years) and ethnically matched controls by bone densitometry of the femoral neck and lumbar spine. The patients' ages were 33 to 60 years. No patient or control used steroids or other bone demineralizing agents. Simple T tests were used to compare hip and lumbar spine BMD of FM cases to controls by 3 decades (31-40, 41-50, 51-60 years).


RESULTS
The patients with FM in all 3 decades had a lower mean BMD of the spine (p<0.05). The femoral neck BMD were also lower, but reached significance (p<0.05) only in the 51-60 age group.


CONCLUSIONS
FM in this pilot study was frequently associated with osteoporosis. Early detection and implementation of appropriate nutritional supplementation (calcium/vitamin D), resistive and weight bearing exercise, and specific bone mineral enhancing pharmacological therapy may be indicated in pre, peri, and postmenopausal subjects.
Swezey
R L
RL
Osteoporosis Prevention and Treatment Center, Santa Monica, California 90404, USA.
Adams
J
J
D015502:Absorptiometry, Photon; D000328:Adult; D015519:Bone Density; D001851:Bone Diseases, Metabolic / Q000453:epidemiology; D002908:Chronic Disease; D005260:Female; D005356:Fibromyalgia / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D010024:Osteoporosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D010146:Pain / Q000453:epidemiology; D010865:Pilot Projects; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012307:Risk Factors