Relationship between aerobic fitness and quality of life in female fibromyalgia patients

Abstract

Objective: To determine whether there is a direct link between quality of life and aerobic capacity among female fibromyalgia patients. Design: Cross-section study. Setting: University of León. Subjects: Twenty-nine women belonging to the León Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Association. Main measurements: Aerobic capacity and quality of life were measured by means of the Six-Minute Walk Test and the Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire. Outcome measures included heart rate and rate of perceived fatigue and dypsnoea. Results: The average distance walked was 432.8 (61.2) m and the total average Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire score was 47.5 (18.9). Only item 1 of the Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire, physical function, showed any statistically significant link with the distance walked, which had no statistically significant relationship with any of the variables studied. Conclusion: The physical fitness of women with fibromyalgia, as determined by the Six-Minute Walk Test and the Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire, has no direct relation with quality of life as the patients perceive it.