To determine the epidemiological characteristics of patients with fibromyalgia requiring assessment of incapacity for work.
A descriptive study was conducted on the patients evaluated in the Medical Unit of the National Institute of Social Security in Madrid in the period from 2005 to 2014 with the diagnosis of fibromyalgia. A study was made on the variables: age, sex, marital status, comorbidity (hypothyroidism, neck pain, psychiatric disorders, and carpal tunnel syndrome), professional occupation, level of education, and type of affiliation to the National Institute of Social Security.
The total number of patients studied was 5,501. The median age was 53 years. Compared to the general working population in our area there were 47% more women, 12% less married people, 25% less workers with higher education, and 23% more unskilled occupations. As regards the working population in our area, there is a markedly increased prevalence of neck pain (prevalence ratio: 2.0), hypothyroidism (prevalence ratio 2.4), and carpal tunnel syndrome (prevalence ratio: 3.0). More than half (58%) of the sample presented with psychiatric disorders.
It can be concluded that the profile of the patient with fibromyalgia assessed in the UMEVI is a woman, aged 46-60 years, mostly with a relatively unskilled job, and with primary level education. More than half of the cases had associated psychiatric disorders, and often associated with neck pain diagnoses, carpal tunnel syndrome, and hypothyroidism.