Epidemiology of neuropathic pain: an analysis of prevalence and associated factors in UK Biobank

Georgios Baskozos; Harry L. Hebert; Mathilde M. V.  Pascal; Andreas C. Themistocleous; Gary J. Macfarlane; David Wynick; David L. H. Bennett; Blair H. Smith

doi:10.1097/PR9.0000000000001066

Epidemiology of neuropathic pain: an analysis of prevalence and associated factors in UK Biobank

Georgios Baskozos (Lead / Corresponding author), Harry L. Hebert, Mathilde M. V. Pascal, Andreas C. Themistocleous, Gary J. Macfarlane, David Wynick, David L. H. Bennett, Blair H. Smith

Population Health and Genomics

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Abstract

Introduction: Previous epidemiological studies of neuropathic pain have reported a range of prevalences and factors associated with the disorder.Objectives:This study aimed to verify these characteristics in a large UK cohort.

Methods: A cross-sectional analysis was conducted of 148,828 UK Biobank participants who completed a detailed questionnaire on chronic pain. The Douleur Neuropathique en Quatre Questions (DN4) was used to distinguish between neuropathic pain (NeuP) and non-neuropathic pain (non-NeuP) in participants with pain of at least 3 months' duration. Participants were also identified with less than 3 months' pain or without pain (NoCP). Multivariable regression was used to identify factors associated with NeuP compared with non-NeuP and NoCP, respectively.

Results: Chronic pain was present in 76,095 participants (51.1%). The overall prevalence of NeuP was 9.2%. Neuropathic pain was significantly associated with worse health-related quality of life, having a manual or personal service type occupation, and younger age compared with NoCP. As expected, NeuP was associated with diabetes and neuropathy, but also other pains (pelvic, postsurgical, and migraine) and musculoskeletal disorders (rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, and fibromyalgia). In addition, NeuP was associated with pain in the limbs and greater pain intensity and higher body mass index compared with non-NeuP. Female sex was associated with NeuP when compared with NoCP, whereas male sex was associated with NeuP when compared with non-NeuP.

Conclusion: This is the largest epidemiological study of neuropathic pain to date. The results confirm that the disorder is common in a population of middle- to older-aged people with mixed aetiologies and is associated with a higher health impact than non-neuropathic pain.

Original language	English
Article number	e1066
Number of pages	12
Journal	PAIN Reports
Volume	8
Issue number	2
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1097/PR9.0000000000001066
Publication status	Published - 10 Mar 2023

Keywords

Epidemiology
General population
Neuropathic pain
Prevalence
Risk factors
UK Biobank

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine

UN SDGs

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

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10.1097/PR9.0000000000001066Licence: CC BY

Final published versionFinal published version, 2.76 MBLicence: CC BY

Cite this

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title = "Epidemiology of neuropathic pain: an analysis of prevalence and associated factors in UK Biobank",

abstract = "Introduction: Previous epidemiological studies of neuropathic pain have reported a range of prevalences and factors associated with the disorder.Objectives:This study aimed to verify these characteristics in a large UK cohort.Methods: A cross-sectional analysis was conducted of 148,828 UK Biobank participants who completed a detailed questionnaire on chronic pain. The Douleur Neuropathique en Quatre Questions (DN4) was used to distinguish between neuropathic pain (NeuP) and non-neuropathic pain (non-NeuP) in participants with pain of at least 3 months' duration. Participants were also identified with less than 3 months' pain or without pain (NoCP). Multivariable regression was used to identify factors associated with NeuP compared with non-NeuP and NoCP, respectively.Results: Chronic pain was present in 76,095 participants (51.1%). The overall prevalence of NeuP was 9.2%. Neuropathic pain was significantly associated with worse health-related quality of life, having a manual or personal service type occupation, and younger age compared with NoCP. As expected, NeuP was associated with diabetes and neuropathy, but also other pains (pelvic, postsurgical, and migraine) and musculoskeletal disorders (rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, and fibromyalgia). In addition, NeuP was associated with pain in the limbs and greater pain intensity and higher body mass index compared with non-NeuP. Female sex was associated with NeuP when compared with NoCP, whereas male sex was associated with NeuP when compared with non-NeuP.Conclusion: This is the largest epidemiological study of neuropathic pain to date. The results confirm that the disorder is common in a population of middle- to older-aged people with mixed aetiologies and is associated with a higher health impact than non-neuropathic pain.",

keywords = "Epidemiology, General population, Neuropathic pain, Prevalence, Risk factors, UK Biobank",

author = "Georgios Baskozos and Hebert, {Harry L.} and Pascal, {Mathilde M. V.} and Themistocleous, {Andreas C.} and Macfarlane, {Gary J.} and David Wynick and Bennett, {David L. H.} and Smith, {Blair H.}",

note = "Funding Information: This work was supported by Diabetes UK under grant agreement 19/0005984, the European Union{\textquoteright}s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 633491 (DOLORisk) and the MRC and Versus Arthritis funding to the PAINSTORM consortium as part of the Advanced Pain Discovery Platform (MR/W002388/1). No funding body had any role in the design of the study and collection, analysis, and interpretation of data and in writing the manuscript .A.C.T is supported by Academy of Medical Sciences Starter Grant SGL022\1086, and is a Honorary Senior Research Fellow and Carnegie-Wits Diaspora Fellow at the Brain Function Research Group, School of Physiology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg. D.L.B and G.B are supported by the Wellcome Trust, grant reference 223149/Z/21/Z. For the purpose of open access, the authors have applied a CC BY public copyright licence to any Author Accepted Manuscript version arising from this submission. Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2023 The Author(s). Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. on behalf of The International Association for the Study of Pain.",

year = "2023",

month = mar,

day = "10",

doi = "10.1097/PR9.0000000000001066",

language = "English",

volume = "8",

number = "2",

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TY - JOUR

T1 - Epidemiology of neuropathic pain

T2 - an analysis of prevalence and associated factors in UK Biobank

AU - Baskozos, Georgios

AU - Hebert, Harry L.

AU - Pascal, Mathilde M. V.

AU - Themistocleous, Andreas C.

AU - Macfarlane, Gary J.

AU - Wynick, David

AU - Bennett, David L. H.

AU - Smith, Blair H.

N1 - Funding Information: This work was supported by Diabetes UK under grant agreement 19/0005984, the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 633491 (DOLORisk) and the MRC and Versus Arthritis funding to the PAINSTORM consortium as part of the Advanced Pain Discovery Platform (MR/W002388/1). No funding body had any role in the design of the study and collection, analysis, and interpretation of data and in writing the manuscript .A.C.T is supported by Academy of Medical Sciences Starter Grant SGL022\1086, and is a Honorary Senior Research Fellow and Carnegie-Wits Diaspora Fellow at the Brain Function Research Group, School of Physiology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg. D.L.B and G.B are supported by the Wellcome Trust, grant reference 223149/Z/21/Z. For the purpose of open access, the authors have applied a CC BY public copyright licence to any Author Accepted Manuscript version arising from this submission. Copyright: © 2023 The Author(s). Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. on behalf of The International Association for the Study of Pain.

PY - 2023/3/10

Y1 - 2023/3/10

N2 - Introduction: Previous epidemiological studies of neuropathic pain have reported a range of prevalences and factors associated with the disorder.Objectives:This study aimed to verify these characteristics in a large UK cohort.Methods: A cross-sectional analysis was conducted of 148,828 UK Biobank participants who completed a detailed questionnaire on chronic pain. The Douleur Neuropathique en Quatre Questions (DN4) was used to distinguish between neuropathic pain (NeuP) and non-neuropathic pain (non-NeuP) in participants with pain of at least 3 months' duration. Participants were also identified with less than 3 months' pain or without pain (NoCP). Multivariable regression was used to identify factors associated with NeuP compared with non-NeuP and NoCP, respectively.Results: Chronic pain was present in 76,095 participants (51.1%). The overall prevalence of NeuP was 9.2%. Neuropathic pain was significantly associated with worse health-related quality of life, having a manual or personal service type occupation, and younger age compared with NoCP. As expected, NeuP was associated with diabetes and neuropathy, but also other pains (pelvic, postsurgical, and migraine) and musculoskeletal disorders (rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, and fibromyalgia). In addition, NeuP was associated with pain in the limbs and greater pain intensity and higher body mass index compared with non-NeuP. Female sex was associated with NeuP when compared with NoCP, whereas male sex was associated with NeuP when compared with non-NeuP.Conclusion: This is the largest epidemiological study of neuropathic pain to date. The results confirm that the disorder is common in a population of middle- to older-aged people with mixed aetiologies and is associated with a higher health impact than non-neuropathic pain.

AB - Introduction: Previous epidemiological studies of neuropathic pain have reported a range of prevalences and factors associated with the disorder.Objectives:This study aimed to verify these characteristics in a large UK cohort.Methods: A cross-sectional analysis was conducted of 148,828 UK Biobank participants who completed a detailed questionnaire on chronic pain. The Douleur Neuropathique en Quatre Questions (DN4) was used to distinguish between neuropathic pain (NeuP) and non-neuropathic pain (non-NeuP) in participants with pain of at least 3 months' duration. Participants were also identified with less than 3 months' pain or without pain (NoCP). Multivariable regression was used to identify factors associated with NeuP compared with non-NeuP and NoCP, respectively.Results: Chronic pain was present in 76,095 participants (51.1%). The overall prevalence of NeuP was 9.2%. Neuropathic pain was significantly associated with worse health-related quality of life, having a manual or personal service type occupation, and younger age compared with NoCP. As expected, NeuP was associated with diabetes and neuropathy, but also other pains (pelvic, postsurgical, and migraine) and musculoskeletal disorders (rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, and fibromyalgia). In addition, NeuP was associated with pain in the limbs and greater pain intensity and higher body mass index compared with non-NeuP. Female sex was associated with NeuP when compared with NoCP, whereas male sex was associated with NeuP when compared with non-NeuP.Conclusion: This is the largest epidemiological study of neuropathic pain to date. The results confirm that the disorder is common in a population of middle- to older-aged people with mixed aetiologies and is associated with a higher health impact than non-neuropathic pain.

KW - Epidemiology

KW - General population

KW - Neuropathic pain

KW - Prevalence

KW - Risk factors

KW - UK Biobank

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U2 - 10.1097/PR9.0000000000001066

DO - 10.1097/PR9.0000000000001066

M3 - Article

C2 - 37090682

AN - SCOPUS:85148293221

SN - 2471-2531

VL - 8

JO - PAIN Reports

JF - PAIN Reports

IS - 2

M1 - e1066

ER -

Epidemiology of neuropathic pain: an analysis of prevalence and associated factors in UK Biobank

Abstract

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

UN SDGs

Access to Document

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Partnership for Assessment and Investigation of Neuropathic Pain: Studies Tracking Outcomes, Risks and Mechanisms (PAINSTORM) - (Joint with Universities of Oxford, Ghent and Aberdeen, Imperial College London and King's College London) (Advanced Pain Discovery Platform)

DOLORisk: Understanding Risk Factors and Determinants for Neuropathic Pain (Joint with Oxford University and others)

Cite this

Epidemiology of neuropathic pain: an analysis of prevalence and associated factors in UK Biobank

Abstract

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

UN SDGs

Access to Document

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Projects

Partnership for Assessment and Investigation of Neuropathic Pain: Studies Tracking Outcomes, Risks and Mechanisms (PAINSTORM) - (Joint with Universities of Oxford, Ghent and Aberdeen, Imperial College London and King's College London) (Advanced Pain Discovery Platform)

DOLORisk: Understanding Risk Factors and Determinants for Neuropathic Pain (Joint with Oxford University and others)

Cite this