When Pain Pushes More Than Your Limits
By Editorial Staff
For millions of adults, chronic pain is a daily reality – a dull ache that won't fade; a sharp flare that interrupts work, sleep and life. But new research shows that long-lasting pain may be doing something else behind the scenes: raising the risk of high blood pressure, one of the leading drivers of heart disease and stroke.
A new study published in
Hypertension followed more than 200,000 adults for over a decade. Its findings point to a clear pattern: The longer and more widespread the pain, the greater the chance of developing hypertension.
Researchers tracked adults who initially had no high blood pressure and examined how pain – its duration, location and intensity – influenced their risk over time. People who reported chronic widespread pain, affecting multiple parts of the body, had dramatically higher odds of developing hypertension compared with those who reported no pain at all.
Pain limited to one area still mattered. Chronic discomfort in the back, head, shoulders, hips, abdomen, or other specific regions was associated with a meaningful increase in risk. Even short-term pain carried some added risk, though milder than that linked to long-standing pain.
The researchers also explored why this relationship exists. Two factors stood out, inflammation, which is often present in chronic pain conditions; and depressive symptoms, which frequently accompany long-term discomfort. Both played a role, but only partly. Together, mood and inflammation explained a modest portion of the overall risk, suggesting that chronic pain may influence blood pressure through multiple pathways – physical, psychological and possibly neurological.
High blood pressure is known as the "silent killer" because it usually has no symptoms until it causes serious complications. That means people living with chronic pain – already dealing with daily discomfort – may be carrying an additional health risk without realizing it.
This study reinforces a bigger message: Pain isn't just about sore muscles or stiff joints. It can influence how your entire body functions, including systems connected to cardiovascular health. If you're experiencing pain, talk to your doctor about proactive, nondrug options to relieve the pain and prevent it from returning.
