Frequency and clinical impact of fibromyalgia among patients with multiple sclerosis in Saudi Arabia: A cross-sectional study

IF 1 Q4 RHEUMATOLOGY

Egyptian Rheumatologist Pub Date : 2025-08-18 DOI:10.1016/j.ejr.2025.08.001

Hind Abdullah Alnajashi

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Abstract

Background

Pain is a prevalent and disabling symptom in multiple sclerosis (MS). Fibromyalgia (FM), a chronic widespread pain syndrome, may coexist with MS and exacerbate fatigue, anxiety, depression, and poor quality of life (QoL). While this association has been studied in Western populations, data from Saudi-Arabia and the Middle-East are limited.

Aim of the work

To determine the frequency of FM in Saudi MS patients and assess its impact on fatigue, disability, depression, anxiety, and quality of life as well as its association with disease characteristics and treatment.

Patients and methods

This retrospective study included 73 Saudi adults with MS. FM was screened using the Arabic Fibromyalgia Rapid Screening Tool (FiRST). Fatigue was assessed using the modified fatigue impact scale (MFIS), disability via expanded disability status scale (EDSS), depression with the patient health questionnaire (PHQ-9), anxiety with the generalized anxiety disorder (GAD-7) and QoL with the MS international QoL (MusiQoL) questionnaire.

Results

The mean patient age was 37.3 ± 10.2 years; 52 females and 21 males. FM was detected in 11 (15.1 %) patients. Disease-modifying therapies were significantly less frequently received by patients with FM (p = 0.015). FIRST score significantly correlated with MFIS (r = 0.45,p < 0.0001), PHQ-9 (r = 0.3,p = 0.009) and GAD-7 (r = 0.29,p = 0.013) and inversely with MusiQoL (r = -0.3,p = 0.011). In regression analysis, fatigue remained the only significant predictor of FM.

Conclusion

FM is not uncommon in Saudi MS patients and is associated with fatigue, depression, anxiety, and reduced QoL. Fatigue emerged as a significant predictor of FM. Early identification and integrated management of FM may improve outcomes in MS.

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沙特阿拉伯多发性硬化症患者纤维肌痛的频率和临床影响：一项横断面研究

背景：疼痛是多发性硬化症（MS）中一种普遍的致残症状。纤维肌痛（FM）是一种慢性广泛性疼痛综合征，可与MS共存，并加重疲劳、焦虑、抑郁和生活质量差（QoL）。虽然这种关联已经在西方人群中进行了研究，但来自沙特阿拉伯和中东的数据有限。确定沙特多发性硬化症患者的FM频率，评估其对疲劳、残疾、抑郁、焦虑和生活质量的影响，以及与疾病特征和治疗的关系。患者和方法本回顾性研究包括73名沙特成年ms - FM患者，使用阿拉伯纤维肌痛快速筛查工具（FiRST）进行筛查。疲劳评估采用改良疲劳影响量表（MFIS），残疾评估采用扩展残疾状态量表（EDSS），抑郁评估采用患者健康问卷（PHQ-9），焦虑评估采用广泛性焦虑障碍（GAD-7），生活质量评估采用MS国际生活质量（musiol）问卷。结果患者平均年龄37.3±10.2岁；52名女性和21名男性。11例（15.1%）患者检出FM。FM患者接受疾病改善治疗的频率显著降低（p = 0.015）。FIRST评分与MFIS显著相关(r = 0.45,p <；0.0001), phq - 9 (r = 0.3, p = 0.009)和GAD-7 (r = 0.29, p = 0.013)和反向MusiQoL (r = -0.3, p = 0.011)。在回归分析中，疲劳仍然是FM的唯一显著预测因子。结论fm在沙特MS患者中并不少见，并与疲劳、抑郁、焦虑和生活质量降低有关。疲劳是FM的显著预测因子。FM的早期识别和综合管理可以改善MS的预后。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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