Chronic pain and mortality risk among middle-aged and older Japanese: the Shika Town Cohort Study

〇Jam Camara1), Hiromasa Tsujiguchi1), Akinori Hara1), Yoko Inagaki2) , Masaharu Nakamura1), Chie Takazawa1), Keita Suzuki1), Sakae Miyagi1), Fumihiko Suzuki1,3) , Tomoko Kasahara1), Atsushi Asai1), Koji Katano1), Kuniko Sato1), Aya Ogawa1,4) , Shinobu Fukushima1), Hirohito Tsuboi1), Yukari Shimizu1), Aki Shibata1) , Yasuhiro Kambayashi1,5), Takayuki Kannon6), Jiaye Zhao1), Marama Talica1) , Yumie Takeshita1), Atsushi Tajima1), Toshinari Takamura1), Hiroyuki Nakamura1)

第23回日本予防医学会学術総会

【Background】
The impact of chronic pain on life expectancy in middle-aged and elderly Japanese people
is not yet fully understood.
【Objective】
This study used data from the Shiga Town Study to investigate whether chronic pain affects
mortality risk, and whether that effect differs depending on age and sex.
【Methods】
This longitudinal study was conducted among 2,849 adults aged 40 and over in Shika Town.
Data on pain location, age, sex, smoking habits, BMI, hypertension, dyslipidemia, diabetes,
etc., was collected via questionnaires at baseline from 2011 to 2016. Mortality data up to
December 2023 was provided by Shika Town.
【Results】
During the follow-up period, the mortality rate was 12.4% for men and 7.8% for women. In
age-stratified analysis, among women aged 74 and under, the mortality rate was significantly
higher in those with chronic headaches and neck, shoulder, elbow, and hand pain combined
compared to those without these pains. Logistic regression analysis adjusted for smoking
habits, BMI, hypertension, dyslipidemia, and diabetes also showed that among women aged
74 and under, chronic headaches were approximately 9 times more likely to result in death,
and neck, shoulder, arm, and hand pain were approximately 2.6 times more likely to result in
death. No significant associations were found in men or women aged 75 and over.
【Conclusion】
This study found that chronic headaches and pain in the neck, shoulders, elbows, and hands
were predictors of an increased risk of death in women. These results suggest that pain in
specific areas is harmful to women and requires greater attention.
【Conflict of Interest】
We declare that there is no conflict of interest in this work.