Pain intensity and pain medication prescription patterns in Veterans with heart failure and back pain

Heart failure (HF) is a complex chronic health condition characterized by multiple symptoms and comorbidities. It affects approximately 26 million people worldwide contributing to significant economic burden.1 Comorbid conditions are often experienced by those with HF, including chronic pain due to illness or injury. For example, one study found that 84.4% of patients with advanced HF reported pain, with 76% reporting non-chest pain.2 Furthermore, chronic pain is associated with pain interference (e.g., pain that interferes with activities of daily living),3 which can limit the ability of these patients to engage in critical self-care activities.

Source: Heart and Lung - July 2, 2021 Category: Intensive Care Authors: Casey E. Cavanagh, Lindsey Rosman, Philip W. Chui, Eric DeRycke, Harini Bathulapalli, Parul Gandhi, Lori A. Bastian, Matthew M. Burg, Cynthia Brandt, Joseph L. Goulet Source Type: research