What are the risk factors of fibromyalgia?

Gender is the biggest risk factor of fibromyalgia. You could say fibro is a bit sexist, as women are nearly seven times more likely to get it compared to men. Age is another: The condition is more common in middle age and later. Genes likely play a role as well, although there is no readily available test to see if you have a genetic susceptibility to fibro. Trauma, either physical or emotional, can trigger the condition. Post-traumatic stress disorder can be a risk factor. So can repetitive injury. Other risk factors include existing medical conditions such as spine disorders and arthritis, including rheumatoid arthritis.

The actual cause of fibromyalgia is still unknown. So, researchers can only speculate about fibromyalgia risk factors. Being a woman may be a strong risk factor as between 80 to 90 percent of people with fibromyalgia are women. Age may be a risk factor as most individuals with fibromyalgia are diagnosed around middle age. Other risk factors may be co-occurring diseases. For instance, people with certain health conditions such as SLE or lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, and ankylosing spondylitis are more likely to have fibromyalgia. Genetics may be a risk factor for fibromyalgia as this syndrome appears to run in families.