FIBROMYALGIA OUTCOME - THE PREDICTIVE VALUES OF SYMPTOM DURATION, PHYSICAL-ACTIVITY, DISABILITY PENSION, AND CRITICAL LIFE EVENTS - A 4.5 YEAR PROSPECTIVE-STUDY

Forty-four fibromyalgia patients were followed through 4.5 years to as sess the extent to which symptom duration, physical activity level, di sability pensions, and the occurrence of critical life events would pr edict long-term outcome. Outcome measures included pressure tenderness (dolorimeter score), work capacity (ergometer cycle test), global sub jective improvement (verbal rating scale), and visual analogue scale r atings of pain, disturbed sleep, lack of energy, and depression. Signi ficant outcome predictors were identified by means of separate multipl e regression analyses on each outcome measure at follow-up, using symp tom duration, physical activity level, disability pension status, and occurrence of critical life events as independent variables, together with baseline symptom intensity and age, which were adjusted for. An a dequate physical activity level and increasing age predicted a positiv e outcome, while receiving a permanent disability pension or having ex perienced an excess of major negative life events predicted a negative outcome. Symptom duration did not affect outcome.