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Heritability of the Fibromyalgia Phenotype Varies by Age
Author(s) -
Dutta Diptavo,
Brummett Chad M.,
Moser Stephanie E.,
Fritsche Lars G.,
Tsodikov Alexander,
Lee Seunggeun,
Clauw Daniel J.,
Scott Laura J.
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
arthritis and rheumatology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 4.106
H-Index - 314
eISSN - 2326-5205
pISSN - 2326-5191
DOI - 10.1002/art.41171
Subject(s) - heritability , fibromyalgia , demography , medicine , biology , genetics , sociology
Objective Many studies suggest a strong familial component to fibromyalgia ( FM ). However, those studies have nearly all been confined to individuals with primary FM , i.e., FM without any other accompanying disorder. The current 2011 and 2016 criteria for diagnosing FM construct a score using a combination of the number of painful body sites and the severity of somatic symptoms ( FM score). This study was undertaken to estimate the genetic heritability of the FM score across sex and age groups to identify subgroups of individuals with greater heritability, which may help in the design of future genetic studies. Methods We collected data on 26,749 individuals of European ancestry undergoing elective surgery at the University of Michigan (Michigan Genomics Initiative study). We estimated the single‐nucleotide polymorphism–based heritability of FM score by age and sex categories using genome‐wide association study data and a linear mixed‐effects model. Results Overall, the FM score had an estimated heritability of 13.9% ( SE 2.9%) ( P = 1.6 × 10 −7 ). Estimated FM score heritability was highest in individuals ≤50 years of age (23.5%; SE 7.9%) ( P = 3.0 ×10 −4 ) and lowest in individuals >60 years of age (7.5%; SE 8.1%) ( P = 0.41). These patterns remained the same when we analyzed FM as a case–control phenotype. Even though women had an ~30% higher average FM score than men across age categories, FM score heritability did not differ significantly by sex. Conclusion Younger individuals appear to have a much stronger genetic component to the FM score than older individuals. Older individuals may be more likely to have what was previously called “secondary FM .” Regardless of the cause, these results have implications for future genetic studies of FM and associated conditions.