title: Epidemiology of fibromyalgia.
abstract: Chronic widespread pain, the cardinal symptom of fibromyalgia (FM), is common in the general population, with comparable prevalence rates of 7.3% to 12.9% across different countries. The prevalence of FM in the general population was reported to range from 0.5% to 5% and up to 15.7% in the clinic. The common association of FM with other rheumatic disorders, chronic viral infections, and systemic illnesses has been well documented in several studies. Up to 65% of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus meet the criteria for FM. FM is considered a member of the family of functional somatic syndromes. These syndromes are very common and share a similar phenomenology, epidemiologic characteristics, high rates of occurrence, a common pathogenesis, and similar management strategies. A high prevalence of FM was demonstrated among relatives of patients with FM and it may be attributed to genetic and environmental factors.
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology, Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheva, Israel. lily@bgumail.bgu.ac.il
authors.forename: Lily
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Neumann
authors.forename: Dan
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Buskila
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D005356:Fibromyalgia / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013001:Somatoform Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology