title: Prevalence, health care utilization, and costs of fibromyalgia, irritable bowel, and chronic fatigue syndromes in the military health system, 2006-2010.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We compared prevalence, health care utilization, and costs over time for nonelderly adults diagnosed with fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS), irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), and chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) in relation to timing of federal approvals for FMS drugs.
  
  
  METHODS
  We used military health care claims from October 2006 to September 2010.
  Retrospective, multiple-year comparisons were conducted using trend analyses, and time series regression-based generalized linear models.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Over 5 years, FMS prevalence rates increased from 0.307% to 0.522%, whereas IBS and CFS prevalence rates remained stable. The largest increase in FMS prevalence occurred between 2007 and 2008. Health care utilization was higher for FMS cases compared to IBS and CFS cases. Over 5 years, the total cost for FMS-related care increased $163.2 million, whereas IBS costs increased $14.9 million and CFS cost increased $3.7 million. Between 2006 and 2010, total pharmacy cost for FMS cases increased from $55 million ($3,641/person) to $96.3 million ($3,557/person).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although cause and effect cannot be established, the advent of federally approved drugs for FMS in concert with pharmaceutical industry marketing of these drugs coincide with the observed changes in prevalence, health care utilization, and costs of FMS relative to IBS and CFS.
authors.affiliation: Department of Defense, Defense Health Agency, 7700 Arlington Boulevard, Suite 5101, Falls Church, VA 22042-5101.
authors.forename: Diana D
authors.initials: DD
authors.lastname: Jeffery
authors.affiliation: U.S. Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine, Kansas Street, Natick, MA 01760-5007.
authors.forename: Lakmini
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Bulathsinhala
authors.affiliation: Altarum Institute, 4401 Ford Avenue #800, Alexandria, VA 22302.
authors.forename: Michelle
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kroc
authors.affiliation: Altarum Institute, 3520 Green Court #300, Ann Arbor, MI 48105.
authors.forename: Joseph
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Dorris
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017281:Cost of Illness; D015673:Fatigue Syndrome, Chronic / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D005356:Fibromyalgia / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D043183:Irritable Bowel Syndrome / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000628:therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008887:Military Medicine; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care; D015995:Prevalence; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology