Quality of life and physical functioning of relatives of fibromyalgia patients.

OBJECTIVES

The quality of life (QOL) and health status of fibromyalgia syndrome (FS) patients is impaired, and may adversely affect their close relatives. The aim of this study was to assess the QOL and physical functioning of relatives of FS patients.

METHODS

A total of 118 relatives (parents, husbands, siblings, and offspring) of 30 FS female patients were evaluated using a QOL scale and the Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (FIQ) and were compared with 124 healthy controls. These measures of functioning and QOL were further studied in relatives with and without FS.

RESULTS

Although the QOL of the relatives was better than that of the FS index women, they were significantly less satisfied than the controls with functioning-related aspects, namely work (job or home), independence, and health (P < .05). Relatives with FS (n = 29) and female relatives (n = 40) reported lower QOL than relatives without FS (n = 89) and male relatives (n = 78), respectively. Similarly, physical functioning of relatives, though better than in FS index cases, was significantly worse than in healthy controls. Furthermore, the health status of female relatives and relatives with FS was significantly worse than that of male relatives and relatives without FS, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

The quality of life and physical functioning of relatives of FS patients were found to be impaired, especially in female relatives and those with undiagnosed FS. This finding may be attributed to the psychological distress in families of FS patients and to the high prevalence (25%) of undiagnosed FS among the relatives.