Using data from the Stockholm Public Health Cohort, researchers reviewed the health data of 10,044 men and women who were pain free in 2006 to see if diabetes and/or high cholesterol were linked with an elevated risk for back, neck, and/or shoulder pain (BNSP) in 2010. After adjusting for age, body mass index, physical activity, high blood pressure, and socioeconomic status, the research team found that diabetic men had a 64% increased risk for BNSP while high cholesterol levels led to a 19-23% elevated risk for BNSP in both men and women. The findings suggest that metabolic diseases may have an impact on the pathophysiology of musculoskeletal pain.
Scandinavian Journal of Pain, August 2017