Chronic Pain: An Overlooked Risk After Heart Attacks
Pain that lingers long after a heart attack could be more perilous than many realize, a new study reveals. Conducted by researchers from Dalarna University, Region Dalarna, Karolinska Institutet, and Uppsala University, the research highlights that chronic pain, regardless of its location in the body, significantly raises the risk of premature death. This risk is on par with well-known factors like smoking and diabetes.
The study delved into the health records of nearly 100,000 patients from the national quality register SWEDEHEART over a span of 16 years. It found that those who reported pain one year after their heart attack had a markedly higher chance of dying early. Interestingly, this correlation was evident even in patients who didn't experience chest pain, suggesting that the mere presence of persistent pain can be a formidable risk factor.
Lars Berglund, an adjunct professor at Dalarna University and affiliated with Uppsala University, emphasized, "We need to more strongly recognize chronic pain as a risk factor for premature death." The findings indicate that patients with severe pain faced a 70 percent higher risk of dying during the follow-up period compared to those without pain.
The research also underscores that the increased risk is present even among younger patients without other traditional risk factors such as obesity or diabetes. Johan Ärnlöv, a professor at Dalarna University and Karolinska Institutet, pointed out, "We demonstrate that even younger, normal-weight patients without other symptoms who reported having pain had an increased risk of death." This highlights the need for the medical community to treat chronic pain as an independent risk factor.
This comprehensive study builds on previous research involving 18,000 patients, providing more substantial evidence of the link between long-term pain and early mortality post-heart attack. It has been published in the scientific journal IJC Heart & Vasculature and received support from the Swedish Research Council.
As chronic pain becomes increasingly recognized as its own disease by the World Health Organization (WHO), understanding its impact on cardiovascular health is crucial. This study serves as a wake-up call for both patients and healthcare providers to consider pain as a significant player in cardiac health strategies.