Investigation of the effect of fibromyalgia frequency on quality of life, daily living activities, disease perception, and clinical parameters in patients with chronic kidney failure undergoing dialysis treatment

Aims: Fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) may be under-recognized in hemodialysis populations, where chronic inflammation, musculoskeletal complaints, and reduced health-related quality of life (HRQoL) frequently overlap. This study evaluated the prevalence of FMS in hemodialysis and examined its associations with pain, activities of daily living, HRQoL, and routine dialysis/laboratory parameters. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 127 adults were analyzed: 69 patients receiving maintenance hemodialysis (dialysis group) and 58 non-dialysis patients with FMS diagnosed using the ACR 2011 criteria and the 2016 revision (FMS group). Within the dialysis cohort, participants were stratified as FMS(+) (n=38) and FMS(–) (n=31). Pain intensity was assessed using a 0–10 Visual Analog Scale (VAS), functional independence with Katz Activities of Daily Living (ADL), and HRQoL with SF-36 (domain scores and summary measures). Dialysis/laboratory variables included pre- and post-dialysis blood urea nitrogen (BUN), Kt/V, parathyroid hormone (PTH), sodium (Na), and calcium (Ca). The primary outcome was SF-36 Role Limitations–Emotional. Multivariable logistic regression (dialysis cohort) and ROC analyses were performed to evaluate predictors of FMS. Results: The prevalence of FMS within the hemodialysis cohort was 55.1% (38/69). Between-group comparisons (dialysis vs FMS) showed higher BMI in the FMS group (28.7 ± 4.8 vs 25.3 ± 5.7; p