Fibromyalgia in men: Comparison of psychological features with women

Fibromyalgia syndrome (FM) is a musculoskeletal pain disorder characterized by chronic widespread pain, hypersensitivity to pain upon palpation, and a range of functional disorders 1 . Although there is controversy regarding the frequency of psychological distress in FM, a majority of investigations suggest that patients with FM have significantly more psychological problems than healthy controls and patients with chronic pain diseases with structural pathology, such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA) 2-8 . The vast majority of patients in the FM literature have been female and in epidemiological studies, women have been shown to be more significantly depressed than men 9 . Psychological factors play an important role in FM 2,10 . However, the psychological status of male patients with FM compared with female patients has not been specifically studied. Our study addresses the issue of gender difference in common and important psychological factors in FM. Based on available literature on gender difference in chronic conditions similar to FM, e.g., headaches and irritable bowel syndrome, we hypothesized that there would be no gender difference in psychological status in FM. MATERIALS AND METHODS Forty men and 160 women with FM were included in the study. All patients fulfilled the 1990 American College of Rheumatology (ACR) criteria for the classification of FM 1 . Male study participants were consecutively seen in the outpatient rheumatology clinic of the University of Illinois College of Medicine at Peoria (UICOMP); female participants, seen in the same clinic during the same period of time (1992)(1993)(1994)(1995)(1996)(1997)(1998)(1999)(2000)(2001)(2002), were randomly selected. Clinical and psychological variables of the patients were assessed by the same protocol in both groups. Duration of disease, education, and tender points (TP) were recorded as continuous variables. A visual analog scale (VAS) was used to evaluate global severity of disease, fatigue, and aches and pains. The items were scored on a 0-100 scale, with 100 denoting the worst possible condition. The severity of pain, sleep disturbance, morning fatigue, anxiety, stress, and depression in the previous month were scored on a 1-4 point scale (1 = none, 2 = mild, 3 = moderate, 4 = severe). These variables were dichotomized as none or mild (no) or moderate and severe (yes) as in our previous studies; the decision for this dichotomization was based on the observation that most symptoms among healthy controls were either none or mild, whereas most symptoms among the patients were either moderate or severe 11 . In addition to measuring psychological variables on ordinal scales 1-4 , they were also assessed by Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Inventory Scale for anxiety (STAI) 12 , Hassles Scale (HS) for current mental stress 13 , and Zung Self-rating Depression Index (ZSDI) for depression 14 . Health status and physical function were assessed by self-administered Health Assessment Questionnaire (HAQ) STAI contains scales that measure state (SAI) and trait anxiety (TAI). SAI comprises 20 items that assess the intensity of current anxiety symptoms. TAI consists of 20 items and measures the level and symptoms of anxiety across situations over a long-standing period. Scale scores are obtained on a 4-point Likert-type scale and by summing the ratings for scale items. Scores range from 20 to 80 for both, with higher scores indicating higher levels of anxiety ZSDI includes 20 statements; one of the 4 responses is chosen for each statement (1 = none or a little of the time, 2 = some of the time, 3 = good part of the time, 4 = most or all of the time). This scale has been found to Personal, non-commercial use only. The Journal of Rheumatology

Nephrolithiasis in ankylosing spondylitis and its relationship with disease assessment scales

WOS: 000486393500008PubMed: 31650112OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to investigate the frequency of renal calculi in patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS) and to determine its relationship with disease assessment variables. METHODS: The study was designed retrospectively, and it included a cohort of 320 patients with AS diagnosed using the Modified New York Criteria. A total of 119 patients who underwent renal ultrasonography (USG), in who the erythrocyte sedimentation rate, C-reactive protein, blood calcium, phosphorus, Vitamin D, parathormone, and urinary calcium excretion were measured, and who also had lateral cervical and lumbar radiography in the same time period were extracted from the cohort. All patients' demographic characteristics and the results of blood and urine tests were recorded. The Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Index (BASDAI), Ankylosing Spondylitis Functional Index (BASFI), Ankylosing Spondylitis Mobility Index (BASMI), and Modified Stoke Ankylosing Spondylitis Spinal Score (mSASSS) were evaluated in all patients. RESULTS: Thirteen of the 119 patients had renal calculi confirmed by USG data. The frequency of nephrolithiasis detected by USG was 10.9% in patients with AS. The disease lasted significantly longer in patients with renal calculi ([nephrolithiasis (+): 18.39 +/- 8.72 years; nephrolithiasis (-): 12.02 +/- 8.43 years, p=0.01]). The BASMI total score was significantly higher in the group of patients with renal calculi. There was not any significant difference in terms of blood samples, HLA-B27, BASDAI, BASFI, and mSASSS between groups. CONCLUSION: The frequency of renal stones is increased in patients with AS compared to healthy population. Especially patients who had AS for a long time and higher BASMI values are more susceptible to renal calculi. It is important to point out that the results of this type of studies would be more reliable if the study is conducted on large patient groups and population-based prevalence

The reliability and validity of the Turkish version of the Fibromyalgia Participation Questionnaire

WOS: 000428850700009PubMed: 29657874Objective: The objective of this study was to test the reliability and validity of the Turkish version of the Fibromyalgia Participation Questionnaire (FPQ). Methods: One hundred and eighty-four female patients with fibromyalgia syndrome were included in the study. All patients filled out the Turkish FPQ (FPQ-T) questionnaire, which was obtained by translation from German according to the guideline for the process of cross-cultural adaptation The patients filled out the revised Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (FIQ) and reevaluated the FPQ-T two hours later. Internal consistency reliability of the FPQ-T was assessed by calculating the "if item deleted" using Cronbach's alpha and the "item-total correction" coefficient for each item of the questionnaire. The consistency of the subscales and the correlation of the test-retest values were assessed. The test-retest values were compared using the Wilcoxon test. Criterion validity was measured using FIQ scales by Spearman's rank correlation coefficient. Results: For internal reliability, Cronbach's alpha coefficient was calculated as 0.957 for nonworking patients and 0.958 for working patients. Cronbach's alpha values of 0.939, 0.871, and 0.914 were obtained for daily, social, and work life, respectively. Correlation coefficients were 0.888 for daily life, 0.859 for social life, and 0.901 overall in the nonworking group versus 0.896 the in working group. The comparison of scores obtained from test-retest measurements showed no significant difference except for Item 3. The correlation of the symptom severity score (SSS) and the FPQ-T was r=0.385 (p<0.001) and r=0.390 (p<0.001) for the nonworking and working subgroups, respectively. The evaluation of construct validity showed a significant correlation between the SSS and FPQ-T. Conclusion: The results of our study showed that the FPQ-T is reliable and valid for assessing participation and social functioning in fibromyalgia patients in Turkish society

Reliability and validity of Turkish version of the fibromyalgia rapid screening tool (FIRST)

Bu çalışma, 08-11, Haziran 2016 tarihlerinde London[İngiltere]’ de düzenlenen Annual European Congress of Rheumatology (EULAR) Kongresi‘nde bildiri olarak sunulmuştur

The reliability and validity of the Turkish version of the Fibromyalgia Participation Questionnaire

Objective: The objective of this study was to test the reliability and validity of the Turkish version of the Fibromyalgia Participation Questionnaire (FPQ)

Nephrolithiasis in ankylosing spondylitis and its relationship with disease assessment scales

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to investigate the frequency of renal calculi in patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS) and to determine its relationship with disease assessment variables