epidemiology

Last reviewed 06/2023

The prevalence of fibromyalgia might be as high as 2-7% in developed countries (1).

• several epidemiological studies have calculated that chronic widespread pain to be present in about 10% of the population
• not all of these people have fibromyalgia and when consensus classification criteria for fibromyalgia published by the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) in 1990 is used the population prevalence was around 2% (2)
• a study done using a questionnaire prepared according to the new American College of Rheumatology Preliminary Diagnostic Criteria for Fibromyalgia (ACR 2010) the prevalence of fibromyalgia in Germany was 2.1%  and 6.4% in Minnesota, USA (2)

The disease is more common in females:

• in the Minnesota population survey, 7.7% of women and 4.9% of men fulfilled ACR 2010 criteria for fibromyalgia
• but only 27% of these people had been diagnosed with the condition making the prevalence of medically diagnosed fibromyalgia 2% in women but only 0.15% in men (2)

Reference:

• (1) Jacobi T. The Basics - GP management of fibromyalgia. GP online 2012
• (2) Rahman A, Underwood M, Carnes D. Fibromyalgia. BMJ. 2014;348:g1224