Are sleep problems and non-specific health complaints risk factors for chronic pain? A prospective population-based study with 17 year follow-up

2012 ◽  
Vol 3 (4) ◽  
pp. 210-217 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anne K. Nitter ◽  
Are H. Pripp ◽  
Karin Ø. Forseth

AbstractIntroductionChronic musculoskeletal pain represents a significant health problem among adults in Norway. The prevalence of chronic pain can be up to 50% in both genders. However, the prevalence of chronic widespread pain is significantly higher in females than in males. Chronic widespread pain is seen as the end of a continuum of pain. There is rather sparse knowledge about the incidence of pain in initially pain free individuals and the course of self-reported pain over time. Moreover, little is known about risk factors for incidence of chronic pain or prognostic factors for the course of self-reported pain. We believe that such knowledge may contribute to develop strategies for treatment at an early stadium of the pain condition and thereby reduce the prevalence of chronic pain included chronic widespread pain.Aims of the studyThe aims of this study were threefold: (1) to calculate the incidence of self-reported musculoskeletal pain in a female cohort, (2) to describe the course of pain and (3) to investigate whether or not health complaints and sleep problems are predictive factors for onset of pain or prognostic factors for the course of pain.MethodsThis is a prospective population-based study of all women between 20 and 50 years who were registered in Arendal, Norway, in 1989 (N = 2498 individuals). A questionnaire about chronic pain (pain >3 months duration in muscles, joints, back or the whole body), modulating factors for pain, sleep problems and seven non-specific health complaints was mailed to all traceable women, in 1990 (N =2498), 1995 (n = 2435) and 2007 (n = 2261). Of these, 1338 responded on all three occasions. Outcome measures were presence and extent of chronic pain.ResultsThe prevalence of chronic pain was 57% in 1990 and 61% in 2007. From 1990 to 2007, 53% of the subjects changed pain category. The incidence of chronic pain in initially pain free individuals during follow-up was 44%, whereas the recovery rate was 25%. Impaired sleep quality predicted onset of chronic pain. There was a linear association between the number of health complaints and the incidence of chronic pain in initially pain free individuals. Equivalent results were found for persistence of pain and worsening of pain.ConclusionThe prevalence of chronic pain was rather stable throughout the follow-up period, but the prevalence of chronic widespread pain increased. Individual changes in pain extent occurred frequently. The presence of sleep disturbances and number of health complaints predicted onset, persistence and worsening of pain.ImplicationsSleep problems must be thoroughly addressed as a possible risk factor for onset or worsening of pain. Elimination of sleep problems in an early phase is an interesting approach in treating chronic pain. More research is needed to illuminate the possible pathogenetic relations between pain, non-specific health complaints, sleep problems and also depression.

Circulation ◽  
2008 ◽  
Vol 118 (suppl_18) ◽  
Author(s):  
Tara Bharucha ◽  
Andrew M Davis ◽  
Christian Turner ◽  
Robert Justo ◽  
Terry Robertson ◽  
...  

Introduction Better data regarding the incidence and risk factors for sudden cardiac death (SCD) in children with cardiomyopathy (CM) is critical in defining appropriate primary prevention strategies. Methods The National Australian Childhood Cardiomyopathy Study is a prospective cohort study, including all children in Australia with primary CM diagnosed at 0 – 10 years of age, between 1987–1997. SCD was defined as sudden and unexpected death in children who were not hospitalized and not in congestive heart failure at the time of death. Nine subjects with sudden death as presenting symptom were excluded. Indexed echocardiographic measurements at latest follow-up were compared between subjects with SCD and survivors. Results Study criteria were met by 291 children. Mean duration of follow-up was 9.2 years. The incidence of sudden death relative to each CM type, for all cases and as a proportion of deaths, is shown in the Table : Incidence of SCD by CM type. SCD incidence was significantly associated with CM type, for all cases ( p = 0.006) and when only those subjects who died were considered ( p = 0.005), with LVNC and RCM having up to 4 times the risk of other CM types. Children with familial DCM had a significantly higher rate of SCD than subjects with non-familial CM (12% vs 3%; p = 0.028), however, familial CM was not a risk factor in other CM types. DCM SCD subjects had larger LVEDd Z score than survivors (median 5.53 vs 1.16; p <0.0001) and lower FS Z score (median −9.23 vs −0.51; p = 0.0025). HCM SCD subjects had thicker LVPW dimension Z scores than survivors (median 4.63 vs 1.18; p = 0.007). Twelve subjects (2 DCM, 8 HCM and 2 LVNC) underwent ICD implantation (8/12 for primary prevention). Conclusions: This population based study defines new risk factors for sudden death in children with CM. RCM is well known to have a high incidence of SCD. In addition, children with LVNC and those with DCM who have severe dilatation, systolic dysfunction or familial DCM are at increased risk of sudden death.


2009 ◽  
Vol 160 (5) ◽  
pp. 833-838 ◽  
Author(s):  
Johan Svartberg ◽  
Sigrid K Brækkan ◽  
Gail A Laughlin ◽  
John-Bjarne Hansen

ObjectivesLow testosterone levels in men have been associated with cardiovascular risk factors and atherosclerosis and lately also an increased risk of both cardiovascular disease (CVD) and all-cause mortality. As arterial CVDs and venous thromboembolism (VTE) have been shown to share common risk factors, the purpose of the present study was to determine the impact of endogenous sex hormone levels on the incidence of VTE in a cohort of men.DesignA prospective, population-based study.MethodsSex hormone measurements were available in 1350 men, aged 50–84, participating in the Tromsø study in 1994–1995. First, lifetime VTE-events during the follow-up were registered up to September 1 2007.ResultsThere were 63 incident VTE-events (4.5 per 1000 person-years) during a mean of 10.4 years of follow-up. Age was significantly associated with increased risk of VTE; men 70 years or older had a 2.5-fold higher risk of VTE (HR 2.47, 95% CI 1.19–5.12), compared with those between 50 and 60 years of age. In age-adjusted analyses, endogenous sex hormones levels were not associated with risk of VTE; for each s.d. increase, hazards ratios (95% CI) were 1.06 (0.83–1.35) for total testosterone, 1.02 (0.79–1.33) for free testosterone, and 1.27 (0.94–1.71) for ln-estradiol. In dichotomized analyses comparing men in the lowest total and free testosterone quartile with men in the higher quartiles, hypoandrogenemia was not associated with risk of VTE.ConclusionsIn this population-based study of middle-aged and older men, endogenous sex hormone levels were not associated with 10-year risk of VTE.


2009 ◽  
Vol 5 (4S_Part_13) ◽  
pp. P383-P383
Author(s):  
Kjell Arne Arntzen ◽  
Henrik Schirmer ◽  
Tom Wilsgaard ◽  
Ellisiv B. Mathiesen

2013 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 86-92 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anne K. Nitter ◽  
Karin Ø. Forseth

AabstractIntroductionChronic musculoskeletal pain represents a significant health problem among adults in Norway. The prevalence of chronic pain is reported to be 35-53% in cross sectional studies of both genders. For many years, it has been a common opinion among medical doctors that chronic pain may indeed reduce a person’s quality of life, but not affect life expectancy. However, over the previous two decades, reports about mortality and cause of death in individuals with chronic pain have been published. So far, several studies conclude that there is an increased mortality in patients with chronic pain, but it is not clear what causes this. Increased occurrences of cardio-vascular death or cancer death have been reported in some studies, but not verified in other studies.Aims of the studyThe aims of this study were to estimate the mortality rate in females with different extent of pain, to identify potential risk factors for death and to investigate if the causes of death differ according to prior reported pain.MethodsThis is a prospective population-based study of all women between 20 and 50 years registered in Arendal, Norway, in 1989 (N = 2498 individuals). At follow-up in 2007, 2261 living females were retraced, 89 had died.All subjects received a questionnaire containing questions about chronic pain (pain ≥ 3 months duration in muscles, joints, back or the whole body) as well as 13 sub-questions about pain-modulating factors, non-specific health complaints and sleep problems, by mail in 1990, 1995 and 2007. Only subjects who answered the questionnaire in 1990 were included in the analyses. Of the deceased, 71 had answered the questionnaire in 1990.A multivariate model for cox regression analysis was used in order to clarify if chronic pain, sleep problems, feeling anxious, frightened or nervous and number of unspecific health were risk factors for death.The causes of death of 87 of the deceased individuals were obtained by linking the ID-number with the Norwegian Cause of Death Registry.ResultsThe ratio of deceased responders was 2% (14/870) among those with no pain versus 5% (57/1168) among those with chronic pain at baseline. When separating into chronic regional pain and chronic widespread pain, the mortality rate was respectively 4% and 8% in the different groups. Age adjusted hazard ratio for mortality rate in individuals with initially chronic pain was [HR 2.5 (CI 1.4–4.5)] compared to pain free individuals. In the multivariate analysis, having chronic pain [HR 2.1 (1.1–4.2)] and feeling anxious, frightened or nervous [HR 3.2 (1.8–5.6)] were associated with increased risk of death. There was no difference in death from cardiovascular disease or malignancies between the groups of pain free individuals vs. the group of individuals with chronic pain.ConclusionThe mortality rate was significantly higher for individuals with chronic pain compared to pain free individuals, adjusted for age. In addition, feeling anxious, frightened or nervous were risk factors for death. There was an increase in all-cause mortality.


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