The relationship between back pain and mortality in older adults varies with disability and gender: Results from the Cambridge City over-75s Cohort (CC75C) study

R. E. Docking; J. Fleming; C. Brayne; J. Zhao; G. J. Macfarlane; G. T. Jones; Cambridge City Over-75s Cohort CC75C study

doi:10.1002/ejp.568

The relationship between back pain and mortality in older adults varies with disability and gender: Results from the Cambridge City over-75s Cohort (CC75C) study

R. E. Docking^*, J. Fleming, C. Brayne, J. Zhao, G. J. Macfarlane, G. T. Jones, Cambridge City Over-75s Cohort CC75C study

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

14 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Background: This study aims to determine whether older adults reporting back pain (BP) are at increased risk of premature mortality, specifically, to examine the association with disabling/non-disabling pain separately.

Methods: Participants aged 75 years were recruited to the Cambridge City over-75s Cohort (CC75C) study. Participants answered interviewer-administered questions on BP and were followed up until death. The relationship between BP and mortality was examined using Cox regression, adjusted for potential confounding factors. Separate models were computed for men and women.

Results: From 1174 individuals with BP data, the date of death was known for 1158 (99%). A significant association was found between disabling BP and mortality (hazard ratio: 1.4; 95% confidence interval: 1.1-1.8) and this remained, albeit of borderline significance, following adjustment for socio-demographic variables and potential disease markers (1.3; 0.99-1.7). Further, this association was found to vary with sex: women experienced a 40% increase in the risk of mortality associated with disabling BP (1.4; 1.1-1.9), whereas no such increase was observed for men (1.0; 0.5-1.9). Participants with non-disabling BP were not at increased risk of mortality.

Conclusions: This study confirmed previous findings regarding the relationship between pain and excess mortality. Further, we have shown that, among older adults, this association is specific to disabling pain and to women. Clinicians should be aware not only of the short-term implications of disabling BP but also the longer-term effects. Future research should attempt to understand the mechanisms underpinning this relationship to avoid excess mortality and should aim to determine why the relationship differs in men and women.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	466-472
Number of pages	7
Journal	European Journal of Pain
Volume	19
Issue number	4
Early online date	28 Jul 2014
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1002/ejp.568
Publication status	Published - Apr 2015

Bibliographical note

The authors would like to acknowledge particularly the CC75C study participants, their families, friends and the staff in many care homes and collaborating general practices. Without their help, none of this research would be possible. Furthermore, the authors gratefully acknowledge the contributions of previous investigators, the NIHR CLAHRC and past research team members, and the helpful comments on earlier drafts of this manuscript from the current CC75C study collaborators, especially Tom Dening, Elizabeta Mukaetova-Ladinska and Daniel Davis (see full list on http://www.cc75c.group.cam.ac.uk).

Keywords

WIDESPREAD BODY PAIN
GENERAL-POPULATION
INCREASED RISK
CANCER
SMOKING
WOMEN
ONSET

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

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Cite this

Docking, R. E., Fleming, J., Brayne, C., Zhao, J., Macfarlane, G. J., Jones, G. T., & Cambridge City Over-75s Cohort CC75C study (2015). The relationship between back pain and mortality in older adults varies with disability and gender: Results from the Cambridge City over-75s Cohort (CC75C) study. European Journal of Pain, 19(4), 466-472. https://doi.org/10.1002/ejp.568

Docking, RE, Fleming, J, Brayne, C, Zhao, J, Macfarlane, GJ , Jones, GT & Cambridge City Over-75s Cohort CC75C study 2015, 'The relationship between back pain and mortality in older adults varies with disability and gender: Results from the Cambridge City over-75s Cohort (CC75C) study', European Journal of Pain, vol. 19, no. 4, pp. 466-472. https://doi.org/10.1002/ejp.568

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title = "The relationship between back pain and mortality in older adults varies with disability and gender: Results from the Cambridge City over-75s Cohort (CC75C) study",

abstract = "Background: This study aims to determine whether older adults reporting back pain (BP) are at increased risk of premature mortality, specifically, to examine the association with disabling/non-disabling pain separately.Methods: Participants aged 75 years were recruited to the Cambridge City over-75s Cohort (CC75C) study. Participants answered interviewer-administered questions on BP and were followed up until death. The relationship between BP and mortality was examined using Cox regression, adjusted for potential confounding factors. Separate models were computed for men and women.Results: From 1174 individuals with BP data, the date of death was known for 1158 (99%). A significant association was found between disabling BP and mortality (hazard ratio: 1.4; 95% confidence interval: 1.1-1.8) and this remained, albeit of borderline significance, following adjustment for socio-demographic variables and potential disease markers (1.3; 0.99-1.7). Further, this association was found to vary with sex: women experienced a 40% increase in the risk of mortality associated with disabling BP (1.4; 1.1-1.9), whereas no such increase was observed for men (1.0; 0.5-1.9). Participants with non-disabling BP were not at increased risk of mortality.Conclusions: This study confirmed previous findings regarding the relationship between pain and excess mortality. Further, we have shown that, among older adults, this association is specific to disabling pain and to women. Clinicians should be aware not only of the short-term implications of disabling BP but also the longer-term effects. Future research should attempt to understand the mechanisms underpinning this relationship to avoid excess mortality and should aim to determine why the relationship differs in men and women.",

keywords = "WIDESPREAD BODY PAIN, GENERAL-POPULATION, INCREASED RISK, CANCER, SMOKING, WOMEN, ONSET",

author = "Docking, {R. E.} and J. Fleming and C. Brayne and J. Zhao and Macfarlane, {G. J.} and Jones, {G. T.} and {Cambridge City Over-75s Cohort CC75C study}",

note = "The authors would like to acknowledge particularly the CC75C study participants, their families, friends and the staff in many care homes and collaborating general practices. Without their help, none of this research would be possible. Furthermore, the authors gratefully acknowledge the contributions of previous investigators, the NIHR CLAHRC and past research team members, and the helpful comments on earlier drafts of this manuscript from the current CC75C study collaborators, especially Tom Dening, Elizabeta Mukaetova-Ladinska and Daniel Davis (see full list on http://www.cc75c.group.cam.ac.uk). ",

year = "2015",

month = apr,

doi = "10.1002/ejp.568",

language = "English",

volume = "19",

pages = "466--472",

journal = "European Journal of Pain",

issn = "1090-3801",

publisher = "Wiley-Blackwell ",

number = "4",

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T1 - The relationship between back pain and mortality in older adults varies with disability and gender

T2 - Results from the Cambridge City over-75s Cohort (CC75C) study

AU - Docking, R. E.

AU - Fleming, J.

AU - Brayne, C.

AU - Zhao, J.

AU - Macfarlane, G. J.

AU - Jones, G. T.

AU - Cambridge City Over-75s Cohort CC75C study

N1 - The authors would like to acknowledge particularly the CC75C study participants, their families, friends and the staff in many care homes and collaborating general practices. Without their help, none of this research would be possible. Furthermore, the authors gratefully acknowledge the contributions of previous investigators, the NIHR CLAHRC and past research team members, and the helpful comments on earlier drafts of this manuscript from the current CC75C study collaborators, especially Tom Dening, Elizabeta Mukaetova-Ladinska and Daniel Davis (see full list on http://www.cc75c.group.cam.ac.uk).

PY - 2015/4

Y1 - 2015/4

N2 - Background: This study aims to determine whether older adults reporting back pain (BP) are at increased risk of premature mortality, specifically, to examine the association with disabling/non-disabling pain separately.Methods: Participants aged 75 years were recruited to the Cambridge City over-75s Cohort (CC75C) study. Participants answered interviewer-administered questions on BP and were followed up until death. The relationship between BP and mortality was examined using Cox regression, adjusted for potential confounding factors. Separate models were computed for men and women.Results: From 1174 individuals with BP data, the date of death was known for 1158 (99%). A significant association was found between disabling BP and mortality (hazard ratio: 1.4; 95% confidence interval: 1.1-1.8) and this remained, albeit of borderline significance, following adjustment for socio-demographic variables and potential disease markers (1.3; 0.99-1.7). Further, this association was found to vary with sex: women experienced a 40% increase in the risk of mortality associated with disabling BP (1.4; 1.1-1.9), whereas no such increase was observed for men (1.0; 0.5-1.9). Participants with non-disabling BP were not at increased risk of mortality.Conclusions: This study confirmed previous findings regarding the relationship between pain and excess mortality. Further, we have shown that, among older adults, this association is specific to disabling pain and to women. Clinicians should be aware not only of the short-term implications of disabling BP but also the longer-term effects. Future research should attempt to understand the mechanisms underpinning this relationship to avoid excess mortality and should aim to determine why the relationship differs in men and women.

AB - Background: This study aims to determine whether older adults reporting back pain (BP) are at increased risk of premature mortality, specifically, to examine the association with disabling/non-disabling pain separately.Methods: Participants aged 75 years were recruited to the Cambridge City over-75s Cohort (CC75C) study. Participants answered interviewer-administered questions on BP and were followed up until death. The relationship between BP and mortality was examined using Cox regression, adjusted for potential confounding factors. Separate models were computed for men and women.Results: From 1174 individuals with BP data, the date of death was known for 1158 (99%). A significant association was found between disabling BP and mortality (hazard ratio: 1.4; 95% confidence interval: 1.1-1.8) and this remained, albeit of borderline significance, following adjustment for socio-demographic variables and potential disease markers (1.3; 0.99-1.7). Further, this association was found to vary with sex: women experienced a 40% increase in the risk of mortality associated with disabling BP (1.4; 1.1-1.9), whereas no such increase was observed for men (1.0; 0.5-1.9). Participants with non-disabling BP were not at increased risk of mortality.Conclusions: This study confirmed previous findings regarding the relationship between pain and excess mortality. Further, we have shown that, among older adults, this association is specific to disabling pain and to women. Clinicians should be aware not only of the short-term implications of disabling BP but also the longer-term effects. Future research should attempt to understand the mechanisms underpinning this relationship to avoid excess mortality and should aim to determine why the relationship differs in men and women.

KW - WIDESPREAD BODY PAIN

KW - GENERAL-POPULATION

KW - INCREASED RISK

KW - CANCER

KW - SMOKING

KW - WOMEN

KW - ONSET

U2 - 10.1002/ejp.568

DO - 10.1002/ejp.568

M3 - Article

SN - 1090-3801

VL - 19

SP - 466

EP - 472

JO - European Journal of Pain

JF - European Journal of Pain

IS - 4

ER -

The relationship between back pain and mortality in older adults varies with disability and gender: Results from the Cambridge City over-75s Cohort (CC75C) study

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Keywords

UN SDGs

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