Impact of Tobacco Use in Patients Presenting to a Multidisciplinary Outpatient Treatment Program for Fibromyalgia

OBJECTIVESThis study examined the relationship between the severity of fibromyalgia symptoms and current tobacco use in patients evaluated at a specialized fibromyalgia treatment program. METHODSDemographic and clinical data from 984 consecutive patients evaluated at the Mayo Clinic Fibromyalgia Treatment Program including the Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (FIQ) were prospectively collected and stored in an electronic medical record and an electronic database. Univariate analyses were performed comparing tobacco users and nonusers. A post-hoc analysis of covariance was conducted for tobacco use, using group differences of confounding clinical and demographic variables. A P value ≤ 0.05 was accepted as the level of significance. RESULTSOne hundred and forty-five patients were identified as tobacco users (14.7%). Tobacco use was associated with greater pain intensity as measured by pain scales and the pain component of the FIQ. Tobacco users had a greater FIQ composite score 70.0(15.1) versus 61.8(16.8), P