Fibromyalgia (FM) is a chronic pain syndrome characterized by generalized pain. It is known that obese patients have more skeletal muscle pain and physical dysfunction than normal weight patients. Therefore, it is important that the early diagnosis of FM be attained in obese patients.
To determine the prevalence of FM in a group of obese patients with indication of bariatric surgery.
The patients were recruited from the Bariatric Surgery outpatient clinic of Hospital de Clínicas of UFPR (HC-UFPR) before being submitted to surgery. Patient assessment consisted in verifying the presence or absence of FM using the 1990 and 2011 ACR criteria, as well as the presence of comorbidities.
98 patients were evaluated, of which 84 were females. The mean age was 42.07 years and the BMI was 45.39. The prevalence of FM was 34% (n=29) according to the 1990 criteria and 45% (n=38) according to the 2011 criteria. There was no difference in age, BMI, Epworth score and prevalence of other diseases among patients who met or not the 1990 criteria. Only depression was more common in patients with FM. (24.14% vs. 5.45%). The same findings were seen in patients that met the 2011 criteria.
The prevalence of FM in patients with morbid obesity is extremely high. However, BMI does not differ in patients with or without FM. The presence of depression may be a risk factor for the development of FM in these patients.