Fibromyalgia in Japanese.

Area of Science:

• Rheumatology
• Clinical Medicine
• Cross-cultural Health Studies

Background:

• Fibromyalgia is a chronic pain disorder with significant impact on quality of life.
• Understanding cultural variations in symptom presentation is crucial for accurate diagnosis and treatment.
• Previous research has primarily focused on North American and European populations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the prevalence and characteristics of fibromyalgia symptoms in Japanese and North American patients.
• To identify potential cultural differences in the manifestation of fibromyalgia.

Main Methods:

• A comparative study involving 50 Japanese fibromyalgia patients and 293 North American fibromyalgia patients.
• Inclusion of 50 Japanese control patients for comparison.
• Analysis of self-reported pain complaints and common fibromyalgia symptoms.

Main Results:

• Japanese fibromyalgia patients reported higher frequencies of "pain all over" (98%), fatigue (98%), anxiety (66%), irritable bowel syndrome (50%), and sicca symptoms (71%) compared to North American counterparts.
• Despite observed differences, the fundamental components of fibromyalgia were largely consistent between Japanese and North American individuals.
• High prevalence of widespread pain and fatigue noted in both groups.

Conclusions:

• Fibromyalgia presents with significant symptom overlap across Japanese and North American populations.
• Certain symptoms, including sicca symptoms and irritable bowel syndrome, may be more pronounced in Japanese patients.
• Further research is warranted to explore the nuances of fibromyalgia presentation in diverse ethnic groups.