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The following is a summary of “Association of back pain with all-cause and cause-specific mortality among older men: a cohort study,” published in the May 2024 issue of Pain by Roseen et al.

Researchers conducted a retrospective analysis to assess if varying severities of back pain (persistent, frequent, or disabling) correlate in older men with increased mortality risk.

They examined mortality rates among 5,215 older men (average age, 73 years, SD = 5.6) in the Osteoporotic Fractures in Men (MrOS) study across six U.S. locations. Back pain was categorized based on baseline and year five questionnaire responses: no back pain, non-persistent back pain, infrequent persistent back pain, or frequent persistent back pain. Additional measures from the year five questionnaire included disabling back pain phenotypes. The study focused on all-cause and cause-specific mortality.

The results indicated that over up to 18 years (mean follow-up=10.3 years), 3,513 deaths occurred (1218 cardiovascular, 764 cancer, 1,531 other). Men with frequent, persistent back pain had a higher mortality rate compared to those without (78% vs. 69%; aHR = 1.27, 95%CI=1.11-1.45). However, no association was found after considering health-related factors, including self-reported general health and chronic conditions (fully-aHR = 1.00; 95%CI=0.86-1.15). Similar trends were observed for cardiovascular and other mortality, but no link was found between back pain and cancer mortality. Secondary measures of back pain, including back-related disability, were associated with increased mortality risk, remaining significant in fully adjusted models.

Investigators found that frequent back pain didn’t directly cause death in older men. Still, severe back pain did increase mortality risk, suggesting further research into how treating severe back pain might impact overall health and lifespan.

Source: academic.oup.com/painmedicine/advance-article-abstract/doi/10.1093/pm/pnae040/7671105