Association between chronic widespread musculoskeletal complaints and thyroid autoimmunity. Results from a community survey.

Objective: To test a hypothesis derived from observations in general practice that thyroid antibodies were associated with chronic widespread musculoskeletal complaints.

Design: Cross-sectional study of 40-42 year old men and women based on a self-administered questionnaire and on results of blood tests.

Setting: Sarpsborg municipality, Norway.

Fibromyalgia and disability. Report of the Moss International Working Group on medico-legal aspects of chronic widespread musculoskeletal pain complaints and fibromyalgia.

The present article is the result of a working group conference held in Moss, Norway, in June 1993, financed by the Royal Norwegian Ministry of Health and Social Affairs. Its purpose was to review and focus upon problems and needs related to the medico-legal aspects of fibromyalgia and chronic widespread musculoskeletal complaints: thus to define directions for future work on issues which have generally not been addressed within the medical community. Our report describes specific problems in this area in regard to definition, evaluation and recommendation, and in currently available work and disability statistics.

Chronic musculoskeletal complaints and subgroups with special reference to uric acid.

In a previous article from a cross-sectional study of 737 men and 771 women (40-42 years old) in Norway, we found a higher mean serum uric acid in persons with than without chronic musculoskeletal complaints. Furthermore, the odds ratio for chronic complaints increased by increasing uric acid level. Persons with chronic complaints are heterogenous.

Uric acid and chronic musculoskeletal complaints.

The relation between chronic musculoskeletal complaints and serum uric acid was examined in 737 men and 771 women (40-42 years old). The study is cross-sectional and part of the National Health Screening Service county studies in Norway. Both men and women with chronic musculoskeletal complaints had significantly higher s-urate means than persons without such complaints.