# Prevalence and Clinical Correlates of Fibromyalgia Screening Positivity in Patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease

## TL;DR

This study finds that nearly 19% of inflammatory bowel disease patients in Saudi Arabia also have fibromyalgia, a chronic pain condition.

## Contribution

The study reports the first data on fibromyalgia prevalence in IBD patients from Saudi Arabia and highlights clinical correlates.

## Key findings

- Fibromyalgia screening positivity was 18.6% among IBD patients in Saudi Arabia.
- Patients with fibromyalgia were older, had more comorbidities, and lower vitamin D levels.
- Inflammatory markers and IBD disease activity were similar between fibromyalgia-positive and -negative patients.

## Abstract

Background: Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is associated with chronic pain and reduced quality of life, even in the absence of active intestinal inflammation. International studies suggest that fibromyalgia (FM), a chronic pain disorder characterized by widespread musculoskeletal pain, fatigue, sleep disturbance, and multiple somatic symptoms, is more prevalent among patients with IBD than among the general population. However, data from Saudi Arabia are limited. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted at King Abdulaziz University Hospital in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, during July and August of 2024. Patients with biopsy-confirmed IBD were identified from hospital records and contacted by phone to screen for FM using a validated Arabic version of the Fibromyalgia Rapid Screening Tool. Demographic data, comorbidities, medication exposure, IBD characteristics, disease activity, and laboratory parameters were extracted from the medical records and compared between patients with and without FM. Results: Of 274 patients with IBD (mean age 30.9 ± 9.2 years; 56.9% male), 51 (18.6%; 95% CI 14.2–23.7) met criteria for FM. Patients with FM tended to be older than those without and were more likely to have comorbidities, particularly thyroid disorders, as well as low Vitamin D levels. Prior 5-aminosalicylic acid use was also more common among patients with FM. Inflammatory markers, hematological indices, IBD phenotypes, and disease activity were similar between the groups. Conclusions: Saudi patients with IBD often have comorbid FM. Routine FM screening in IBD clinics may help avoid misattributing central pain to active inflammation and unnecessary treatment escalation.