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Table 1 Baseline characteristics of patients and healthy control subjects

From: Cortisol and hypothalamic–pituitary–gonadal axis hormones in follicular-phase women with fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome and effect of depressive symptoms on these hormones

 

Patients

Controls

 

Fibromyalgia

Chronic fatigue syndrome

 

Variable

(N = 68)

(N = 62)

(N = 46)

Age (years)

31.43 ± 7.81

32.55 ± 6.61

31.54 ± 6.86

Disease duration (years)

3.96 ± 4.23

4.28 ± 4.12

-

FIQ score

59.23 ± 10.28

-

12.83 ± 7.21

Pain intensity (VAS)

5.03 ± 1.18

4.49 ± 1.83

0.47 ± 0.880

Tender point count

13.18 ± 1.79

6.49 ± 3.51

3.49 ± 2.81

Symptoms experienced [No. (%)]

   

   Morning stiffness

42 (62)

24 (39)

3 (7)

   Muscle spasm

39 (57)

15 (24)

2 (4)

   Fatigue

48 (71)

62 (100)

4 (9)

   Skinfold tenderness

56 (82)

29 (47)

2 (4)

   Sleep disturbance

54 (79)

27 (44)

2 (4)

   Cigarette smoking

31 (46)

30 (48)

26 (57)

Menstrual cycle

   

   Age at menarche

12.91 ± 0.28

13.02 ± 0.25

13.14 ± 0.21

   Cycle length (days)

13.14 ± 0.21

28.87 ± 0.19

29.07 ± 0.27

   Days of menstrual flow

4.82 ± 0.36

4.97 ± 0.28

4.89 ± 0.32

Marital status [No. (%)]

   

   Married

45 (66)

39 (63)

28 (61)

   Single

13 (20)

14 (23

10 (23)

   Divorced

7 (12)

6 (10)

4 (9)

   Other

3 (2)

3 (4)

3 (7)

Highest educational level achieved [No. (%)]

   

   Elementary school

31 (46)

30 (48)

20 (44)

   Secondary school

15 (22)

13 (21)

13 (28)

   University/High school

22 (32)

19 (31)

13 (28)

Employment status [No. (%)]

   

   Unemployed

5 (7)

5 (8)

3 (7)

   Employed

7 (10)

5 (8)

7 (15)

   Retired

3 (4)

4 (6)

2 (4)

   Homemaker

39 (58)

37 (60)

24 (52)

   Student

11 (16)

8 (13)

7 (15)

   Others

3 (5)

3 (5)

3 (7)

  1. Values are means ± standard deviation, except where indicated as number and percentage of the group. FIQ, Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire; VAS: Visual Analog Scale; -, not applicable.