title: Health-related quality of life in fibromyalgia and refractory angina pectoris: a comparison between two chronic non-malignant pain disorders.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To compare health-related quality of life in 2 different populations with chronic pain: patients with fibromyalgia and patients with refractory angina pectoris. Previous separate studies have indicated that these patient groups report different impacts of pain on health-related quality of life.
  
  
  METHODS
  The Short-Form 36 was used to assess health- related quality of life. In order to adjust for age and gender differences between the groups, both patient groups were compared with age- and gender-matched normative controls. The difference in health-related quality of life between the 2 patient groups was assessed by transforming the Short-Form 36 subscale scores to a z-score.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The patients with fibromyalgia (n = 203) reported poorer health-related quality of life in all the subscale scores of Short-Form 36 (p < 0.05-0.0001) than the patients with refractory angina (n = 146) when both groups were compared with their corresponding normal population (z-score).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Patients with fibromyalgia experience greater impairment in health-related quality of life compared with the normal population than do patients with refractory angina pectoris, despite the fact that the latter have a potentially life-threatening disease. The great impairment in health- related quality of life in patients with fibromyalgia should be taken into consideration when planning rehabilitation.
authors: Department of Molecular and Clinical Medicine/Multidisciplinary Pain Center, Institute of Medicine, 416 85 Göteborg, Sweden.
authors: Paulin
authors: P
authors: Andréll
authors: Tomas
authors: T
authors: Schultz
authors: Kaisa
authors: K
authors: Mannerkorpi
authors: Lena
authors: L
authors: Nordeman
authors: Mats
authors: M
authors: Börjesson
authors: Clas
authors: C
authors: Mannheimer
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000787:Angina Pectoris / Q000523:psychology*; D002908:Chronic Disease; D059350:Chronic Pain / Q000523:psychology*; D004644:Emotions; D005260:Female; D005356:Fibromyalgia / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011788:Quality of Life; D012917:Social Adjustment; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013548:Sweden; D055815:Young Adult