Arrhythmias & electrophysiologyCohort study
Association between pain and incident arrhythmias in 422 654 individuals: evidence from the UK Biobank cohort
- Prospective cohort study
Authors' conclusion
Chronic pain was associated with cardiac arrhythmias.
Study context
- Population
- UK Biobank participants; pain ascertained via touchscreen questionnaire
- Participants
- 422,654 participants
- Exposure
- Chronic localized pain or chronic widespread pain vs no pain
- Outcome
- Incident arrhythmias: all cardiac arrhythmias, AF, other (non-AF) arrhythmias, bradyarrhythmias, ventricular arrhythmias
- Follow-up
- Mean (SD) 13.19 (1.96) years
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
All cardiac arrhythmias, AF, other cardiac arrhythmias · mean follow-up 13.19 years
Each group vs no painHazard ratio (95% CI)
Chronic localized painall cardiac arrhythmias
1.13(1.10–1.17)
Chronic widespread painall cardiac arrhythmias
1.34(1.19–1.51)
Chronic localized painAF
1.09(1.05–1.14)
Chronic widespread painAF
1.33(1.15–1.55)
Chronic localized painother cardiac arrhythmias
1.17(1.12–1.22)
Chronic widespread painother cardiac arrhythmias
1.41(1.20–1.66)
- Participants who developed arrhythmia
- 36,860 (8.72%)
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
Number of chronic pain sites
- Dose-relationship with risk of all cardiac arrhythmias, atrial fibrillation (AF) and bradyarrhythmias
Subgroups by age and sex
- Effect estimates significantly larger in age <60 years than ≥60 years, and larger in women than men
Original publication
Association between pain and incident arrhythmias in 422 654 individuals: evidence from the UK Biobank cohort. Eur J Prev Cardiol. Published 20 March 2025. doi:10.1093/eurjpc/zwaf153
Summarised from the published abstract; every number is checked against it