Sleep Problems May Raise Fibromyalgia Risk

Fibromyalgia, a chronic musculoskeletal pain syndrome, is estimated to affect over 5 million people – primarily women, over the age of 18 in the US. The syndrome onset typically occurs in middle age, and previous research has suggested that insomnia, nocturnal awakening, and fatigue are common symptoms in patients with fibromyalgia.  Paul Mork, from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (Norway), and colleagues  studied 12,350 women, ages 20 and older, who had participated in the Norwegian HUNT study , a large population-based health study.   The team revealed a strong association between sleep problems and increased risk of fibromyalgia in women.  Specifically, the risk of fibromyalgia increases with severity of sleep problems, and the association is stronger among middle-aged and older women than among younger women.   The study authors conclude that: “These prospective data indicates a strong dose-response association between sleep problems and risk of [fibromyalgia].