title: Arterial stiffness in female patients with fibromyalgia and its relationship to chronic emotional and physical stress.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  In patients with fibromyalgia (FM) syndrome, stress and pain may chronically enhance sympathetic activity, altering cardiovascular responses and inducing the arterial wall-stiffening process. We investigated arterial stiffness in FM patients using pulse wave velocity (PWV) and analyzed whether arterial stiffness was affected by the clinical parameters of FM.
  
  
  METHODS
  This study included 108 female FM patients (51.5±8.9 years) without any known cardiovascular diseases and 76 healthy female controls (50.1±8.9 years). FM patients underwent a manual tender point survey for tender point counts, and completed the visual analogue scale (VAS) of pain and fibromyalgia impact questionnaire (FIQ), which were composed of a physical and feel score. Brachial-ankle pulse-wave velocity (baPWV) was measured with an automated device. The study participants were subdivided into 2 groups based on the sum of the FIQ score (group A: FIQ ≥50, group B: <50).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Patients with FM had significantly higher baPWV than the controls, and significant increase were noted in baPWV values of group A compared with those of group B. BaPWV showed a significant positive correlation (correlation coefficient=6.83, p=0.022) with severity of disease assessed by FIQ.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The patients with FM showed significantly increased arterial stiffness, suggesting a pathophysiologic link between FM and endothelial dysfunction. This study provides a basis for clarifying the mechanism by which chronic pain syndrome is associated with an increased risk of vascular stiffness.
authors: Division of Rheumatology, Maryknoll Medical Center, Busan, Korea.
authors: Ji Hyun
authors: JH
authors: Lee
authors: Kyoung Im
authors: KI
authors: Cho
authors: Seong Man
authors: SM
authors: Kim
authors: Hyeon Gook
authors: HG
authors: Lee
authors: Tae Ik
authors: TI
authors: Kim