Comorbidities of Patients with Functional Somatic Syndromes Before, During and After First Diagnosis: A Population-based Study using Bavarian Routine Data.

ABSTRACT: Functional somatic syndromes (FSS) are characterised by the presence of one or multiple chronic symptoms that cannot be attributed to a known somatic disease. They are thought to arise though a complex interaction of biological and psychosocial factors, but it is unclear whether they share a common aetiology. One hypothesis supported by recent studies is that the FSS are postinfectious disorders, as is widely recognised for a subset of patients with irritable bowel syndrome. Our study used claims data submitted by office-based physicians to compare groups of patients with different FSS in the five years before and after the point of first diagnosis. Even five years prior to diagnosis, FSS patients consulted more frequently for a range of psychological and somatic conditions than did contro

SUBMITTER: Donnachie E 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7299983 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature