Characteristics of patients with fibromyalgia in France and Germany.
BACKGROUND
Few studies have comprehensively assessed the burden associated with fibromyalgia (FM). This cross-sectional, observational study evaluates the impact of FM on patients in France and Germany.


METHODS
A total of 299 FM patients were recruited from 33 physician offices in France and Germany during routine visits. Patients completed a survey that included the Brief Pain Inventory-Short Form (BPI-sf), Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (FIQ), EuroQol 5D (EQ-5D) and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) to describe their pain, FM and health-related quality of life (HRQOL). FM severity was defined using patients' FIQ total scores with 0 to < 39, 39 to < 59 and 59-100, representing mild, moderate and severe FM, respectively. Site staff completed case report forms using patients' medical records.


RESULTS
Mean (standard deviation, SD) age was 54.2 (12.6); 81% of patients were women. The mean (SD) FIQ total score was 53.3 (19.6); 33% and 44% of patients reported moderate and severe FM, respectively. Most patients (91%) were receiving prescription medications for FM during the study. Patients reported a mean (SD) EQ-5D health state valuation of 0.44 (0.33) and a mean (SD) BPI-sf Pain Severity Index score of 4.9 (1.8). Forty-one percent of patients reported some level of disruption in their employment because of FM; employed patients missed a mean (SD) of 2.2 (4.6) workdays during the past 4 weeks. An increase in FM severity was significantly associated with increased pain severity, productivity loss, sleep disturbance and higher anxiety and depression (p < 0.0001).


CONCLUSIONS
There is a substantial burden of illness including treatment limitations for FM patients in France and Germany.
Perrot
S
S
Service de Médecine Interne et Thérapeutique, Consultation de la Douleur, Hôtel Dieu Hôpital, Université Paris Descartes, Paris, France.
Winkelmann
A
A
Dukes
E
E
Xu
X
X
Schaefer
C
C
Ryan
K
K
Chandran
A
A
Sadosky
A
A
Zlateva
G
G
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001007:Anxiety / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D017281:Cost of Illness; D004526:Efficiency; D004651:Employment / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D005356:Fibromyalgia / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005602:France / Q000453:epidemiology; D005858:Germany / Q000453:epidemiology; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010146:Pain / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D011788:Quality of Life; D012893:Sleep Wake Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult