The association between short-term, chronic localized and chronic widespread pain and risk for cardiovascular disease in the UK Biobank.

Chronic pain is associated with an increased risk for myocardial infarction, stroke, heart failure, and cardiovascular death independent of established cardiovascular risk factors, socioeconomic factors, comorbidities and medication. Our study, the largest to date, confirms and extends our understanding of chronic pain as an underestimated cardiovascular risk factor with important public health implications.