Chronic Pain Linked To High Blood Pressure

1 min

A large study of over 200,000 adults found that chronic pain — especially pain that is widespread throughout the body — significantly increases the likelihood of developing high blood pressure. The investigation, led by researchers at the University of Glasgow in the UK, shows that the more extensive a person’s pain is, the higher their risk, and that depression plays an important role.

Participants were followed for an average of 13.5 years. Compared with people reporting no pain, those with chronic widespread pain had a 75 percent higher risk of developing high blood pressure. People who had chronic pain in a single area of their body had a 20 percent higher risk. Risk also seemed to vary depending on its location: people with chronic abdominal pain had a 43 percent higher likelihood of developing high blood pressure, while those with chronic headaches had a 22 percent higher risk, followed by chronic neck and shoulder pain (19 percent), chronic hip pain (17 percent), and chronic back pain (16 percent).

Previous research suggests that widespread pain increases the likelihood of depression and that depression itself has been shown to increase the risk of high blood pressure. While pain is known to raise blood pressure temporarily, this study clarifies how chronic pain may contribute to long-term hypertension risk, potentially through inflammation, depression, and the effects of certain medications.