BACKGROUND
Fibromyalgia is characterized by widespread debilitating pain, and more than half of fibromyalgia patients claim that weather-related factors aggravate their symptoms.
However, the variations in actual symptoms between those with and without weather sensitivity have not been measured.
The aim of this research was to see if weather sensitivity was linked to the smallest clinically significant differences in quality of life in fibromyalgia patients with and without weather sensitivity.
METHODS
Sixty-four consecutive outpatients with fibromyalgia who came to our tertiary center for the first time were included in the study.
Self-perceived symptoms were used to assess weather vulnerability.
The 0-10 Numerical Rating Scale was used to assess pain severity (NRS).
The Euro Quality of Life-5 Dimensions-3 Standard (EQ-5D-3L) scale was used to assess quality of life.
Using the EQ-5D-3L scale, the variables were subjected to univariable and multivariable analysis.
RESULTS
The patients were on average 50 years old.
Women made up 48 of the 78 patients (75 percent).
The EQ-5D-3L score was 0.55 on average.
Thirty-seven patients (58%) said they were sensitive to the weather.
Welfare recipients, weather sensitivity, and NRS values were all linked to EQ-5D-3L scale scores in univariable analysis.
NRS importance and weather sensitivity were found to be independently correlated with EQ-5D-3L scale scores in multivariable analysis.
The NRS and EQ-5D-3L scale scores of those with weather sensitivity were substantially lower than those without weather sensitivity.
The gap in NRS scores between groups was less than 1.5 points.
The gap in EQ-5D-3L scale scores between groups was 0.16 points.
CONCLUSIONS
Weather sensitivity was found to be associated with fibromyalgia patients’ quality of life.
In patients with fibromyalgia, there was a connection between weather sensitivity and the minimal clinically significant difference values of quality of life.
Weather sensitivity can play an important role in the quality of life of fibromyalgia patients.
