There could be more than double the number of people in the U.S. with fibromyalgia if a proposed broader definition of the chronic pain disorder is accepted, a new report says.
Currently, it’s believed that less than two percent of the population has fibromyalgia, but that number would jump to five percent if the American College of Rheumatology adopts the latest diagnostic guidelines, researchers say.
Under the proposed criteria, patients could self-report their pain levels. The current system calls for a diagnosis by a doctor.
In a new study, Scottish researchers found that 1.7 percent are currently diagnosed with fibromyalgia. That percentage would grow to 5.4 percent under the new guidelines, they said.
The new criteria also found that the pain disorder is more prevalent among men than previously thought.
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