For years, speculation and disagreement have split the medical
community regarding the causes of fibromyalgia syndrome. Some
physicians don't even acknowledge FMS as a legitimate medical
diagnosis, preferring to view fibromyalgia as a psychiatric condition.
I've gone fishing for info on the Web, but the waters are murky, and
I'm afraid this has to be an "answer" that doesn't really answer the
question very fully. As usual, I can only post brief excerpts here,
but you may want to read some of these articles in their entirety:
"It has been shown that more women than men develop fibromyalgia, but
whether it is because men have been conditioned by society not to
complain about pain or fatigue, or whether most doctors just don't
look at the fact that males also develop fibromyalgia, or whether it
is true that more females than males actually do develop fibromyalgia
is still unknown."
Suite 101
http://www.suite101.com/article.cfm/fibromyalgia/17071
"FM is seen much more often in women than in men. Women are diagnosed
with FM ten times more often than men. The reason for this difference
is not yet understood. However, it could be the result of gender
differences similar to those seen in lupus and multiple sclerosis, two
other diseases that affect more women than men. Another possibility is
that the gender difference is due to differences in the ways that
women and men seek health care. However, the gender difference will
only be understood after more experience and research."
New Jersey Chronic Fatigue Syndrome & Fibromyalgia Center
http://www.umdnj.edu/cfsweb/CFS/cfsfaqsfm1.htm
"Various studies show that women make up the majority of those with fibromyalgia.
Depending on the study, women account for 75 percent to 90 percent of
the fibromyalgia cases. Why do women bear this disproportionate
burden? At this point medical science cannot say why -- but research
is under way to find the reasons behind this gender gap.
Evidence suggests that women may have lower thresholds than men for
painful sensory stimuli. Also, sex hormones may be involved in the
stress-response system; estrogens, for example, may inhibit stress
response."
Missouri Arthritis Rehabilitation Research and Training Center
http://www.muhealth.org/~arthritis/articles/aug01/fibrowomen.html
"Fibromyalgia is definitely more common in women than men. This is a fact.
The reasons for this discrepancy are many. Some are because women are
structurally more likely to suffer upper body neuropathy or nerve
injury than a man due to decreased upper body muscle mass.
Another reason is that women are usually more emotionally intuitive
than men and are therefore more susceptible to intrinsic muscle
tension of the neck and upper back. This will also lead to increased
nerve root irritation and referred pain into the arms and legs.
Yet another reason is that women regularly endure hormonal cycling and
menopause which will also cause increased muscle shortening and spinal
compression. The fact that women have breasts and men do not will
contribute to an increase in upper back and neck injury and pain due
to increased forward weight."
Dr. Blair Lamb
http://www.drlamb.com/womenfibromyalgia.htm
"A recent study found diminished blood flow to parts of the brain in
people with fibromyalgia and an increase in the chemical that helps
transmit pain signals. Researchers also discovered that men produce
52% more serotonin than do women. Perhaps this is why more women than
men develop fibromyalgia. Serotonin is a neurotransmitter in the brain
that regulates moods and depression. It is related to melatonin, which
is produced by the pineal gland and is necessary for sleep. When a
person is under stress, more serotonin is used. People with FMS are
often deficient in serotonin, so it is understandable why stress
aggravates fibromyalgia symptoms."
FMS Help
http://www.fms-help.com/tips2.htm
"Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) affects about two-and-a half women for
every man affected; in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE or lupus) the
ratio is closer to 8-to-1. Other arthritis-related diseases, including
Sjögren?s syndrome, fibromyalgia and polymyositis, also favor women...
Rheumatoid arthritis and lupus, along with various other forms of
arthritis that favor women, are autoimmune diseases. In other words,
while the immune system normally defends the body against attacks from
foreign substances such as bacteria and viruses, in these conditions
the system overdoes it - it mistakenly identifies the body?s tissues
as foreign. As a result, it may attack the body, causing joint and
tissue damage. Recognizing that autoimmunity and gender are common
characteristics of these conditions, researchers have looked to the
possible relationship between hormones and the immune system for
answers."
The Arthritis Society
http://www.arthritis.ca/programs%20and%20resources/news%20magazine/1992/gender/default.asp?s=1
Google search strategy:
Google Web Search: "fibromyalgia OR fms" + "more women than men"
://www.google.com/search?hl=en&ie=UTF-8&q=fibromyalgia+OR+fms+%22more+women+than+men
Google Web Search: "fibromyalgia OR fms" + "gender"
://www.google.com/search?hl=en&ie=UTF-8&q=fibromyalgia+OR+fms+gender
I hope this provides some insight into the situation. Fortunately,
medical research has taken a keen interest in those of us whose own
immune systems have gone on the warpath against us. There may be light
at the end of the tunnel, and it may not be an oncoming train.
Best,
Pink |
Clarification of Answer by
pinkfreud-ga
on
16 Jun 2004 12:59 PDT
It's odd how I can't stop picking at a question. Another round of
research led me to this interesting theory:
"Michael Lockshin from the United States posed the question 'Why do
women more commonly have rheumatic disease?' He asked whether
oestrogenic hormones explain disease incidence, severity, or both -
pointing out that hormonal influence is not necessary in, for example,
SLE. A female preponderance for SLE could be explained by
environmental exposure to a pathogen - X-inactivation, imprinting,
T-cell trafficking, or other mechanisms. As an example of
environmental causes of gender discrepancy, he pointed out how drug
use, toxins, and infection may be different in women and men. The high
genetic predisposition to autoimmune disease does not explain female
predominance. He concluded that the most likely causes of this
predominance include unknown differences between men and women in
terms of environmental exposure. He also questioned the possibility
that there may be a gender influence on chronobiology. For example,
the monthly fluctuation of vascular response, hormone, and immune
response - independent of oestrogen itself - could leave a women
vulnerable to other chemicals."
Brazilian Congress of Rheumatology
http://www.rheuma21st.com/archives/calin_brazil.html
~Pink
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