A NEW study highlights the profound impact of fibromyalgia on the quality of life for patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), revealing that this often underdiagnosed comorbidity is prevalent and significantly debilitating.
The study assessed 107 Brazilian SLE patients treated at a University Hospital in Paraíba. Using American College of Rheumatology criteria, researchers found that 19.1% of the participants were diagnosed with fibromyalgia. All affected patients were women, with an average age of 45.6 years.
The study utilised the Short-Form 36 (SF-36) questionnaire to measure quality of life and found consistently lower scores across all domains for SLE patients with fibromyalgia compared to those without. This underscores the severe toll fibromyalgia takes on physical and mental well-being.
“Fibromyalgia remains underdiagnosed in SLE patients, which leads to inadequate treatment and worsens their quality of life,” the authors noted.
The findings are consistent with global research and call attention to the need for greater awareness, earlier diagnosis, and tailored management strategies for fibromyalgia in lupus patients. Addressing this comorbidity could help improve overall outcomes and reduce the burden of living with SLE.
Aleksandra Zurowska, EMJ
Reference
Monteiro JA et al. Fibromyalgia comorbidity in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus patients: assessing impact on quality of life. Adv Rheumatol. 2024;DOI: 10.1186/s42358-024-00432-5.
