A new study has found that chronic pain may raise the risk of developing high blood pressure.
The study, published in the American Heart Association journal Hypertension, also shows that the location of pain, how long it lasts, how widespread it is, and whether the person has depression all play important roles.
The research looked at data from more than 200,000 adults and found that those who had pain in many parts of the body were more likely to develop high blood pressure than those with no pain.
High blood pressure happens when the force of blood against the walls of the arteries is too high. If not controlled, it can lead to heart attacks, strokes, and other serious health problems. Nearly half of all adults in the U.S. have high blood pressure. It is a leading cause of death in the U.S. and around the world.
Chronic pain, especially in the muscles and joints such as the back, neck, knees, and hips, is common and can last for months or even years. This study aimed to understand how chronic pain affects the chances of getting high blood pressure later in life.
The researchers used information from the UK Biobank, a project that collected health data from over 500,000 people in the United Kingdom. For this study, they focused on 206,963 adults who were mostly white, middle-aged, and living in England, Scotland, or Wales. The average age of participants was 54 years, and about 62% were women.
Each person was asked whether they had pain in the past month that interfered with their daily life. They listed where the pain was located—such as the head, neck, back, stomach, hips, or knees—and whether it had lasted more than three months.
Depression was measured using questions about mood, energy, and interest in daily activities. Blood tests were used to check for inflammation.
After an average follow-up period of 13.5 years, nearly 10% of participants developed high blood pressure. People with widespread chronic pain were 75% more likely to develop high blood pressure than those with no pain.
Even people with pain in just one area had a 20% higher risk. Specific types of pain were also linked to higher risks: abdominal pain (43%), headaches (22%), neck/shoulder pain (19%), hip pain (17%), and back pain (16%).
One important finding was that depression explained some of the connection between chronic pain and high blood pressure. People with long-term pain were more likely to be depressed, and that depression raised their blood pressure risk. Inflammation played a smaller role.
The study shows that doctors should keep an eye on blood pressure in patients with chronic pain, especially if they also have symptoms of depression. Helping patients manage their pain and mental health could lower their chances of developing high blood pressure.
Experts not involved in the study, like Dr. Daniel W. Jones from the University of Mississippi, said the results are important. He added that more research is needed to see how different ways of treating pain, including the use of common painkillers like ibuprofen, may affect blood pressure.
The study had some limits. It focused mostly on white adults in the UK, so results may not apply to younger people or other ethnic groups. Also, the data was self-reported, and only one pain assessment and two blood pressure checks were used. Still, the long-term follow-up and large number of participants make the results meaningful.
In the future, better ways of managing pain and depression could help prevent high blood pressure. This research gives doctors more reasons to treat chronic pain seriously—not just for comfort, but for overall health.
If you care about high blood pressure, please read studies about unhealthy habits that may increase high blood pressure risk, and drinking green tea could help lower blood pressure.
For more information about high blood pressure, please see recent studies about what to eat or to avoid for high blood pressure, and 12 foods that lower blood pressure.
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