title: Sleep disordered breathing concomitant with fibromyalgia syndrome.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To identify fibromyalgia syndrome in patients with sleep disordered breathing.
  
  
  METHODS
  We studied 50 patients seeking treatment at a sleep disorder clinic for snoring, apnea and excessive daytime sleepiness. Sleep disordered breathing was diagnosed through the use of polysomnography. To diagnose fibromyalgia syndrome, patients were evaluated in accordance with the criteria established by the American College of Rheumatology.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 50 patients, 32 were male. The mean (+/- standard deviation) age of the group was 50 +/- 12 years. The mean body mass index was 29.7 +/- 5.6 kg/m(2). The mean apnea-hypopnea index was 36 +/- 29 attacks of apnea or hypopnea per hour of sleep. Of the 18 women and 32 men evaluated, 9 and 2, respectively, met the American College of Rheumatology criteria for fibromyalgia syndrome.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Considering the fact that the prevalence of fibromyalgia syndrome in the general population is 0.5% for men and 3.4% for women, the more than ten-fold higher proportion of fibromyalgia cases seen in this sample supports the hypothesis that there is an association between sleep disordered breathing and fibromyalgia syndrome.
authors.affiliation: Federação de Estabelecimento de Ensino Superior, Novo Hamburgo, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. dienaro@globalmed.com.br
authors.forename: Dienaro
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Germanowicz
authors.forename: Magali Santos
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Lumertz
authors.forename: Denis
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Martinez
authors.forename: Ane Freitas
authors.initials: AF
authors.lastname: Margarites
mesh_terms: D015992:Body Mass Index; D005260:Female; D005356:Fibromyalgia / Q000150:complications*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017286:Polysomnography; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D012891:Sleep Apnea Syndromes / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis