BackgroundChronic pain is a common condition in the general population. However, large epidemiologic studies examining the role of pain in the deterioration of kidney function, development of chronic kidney disease, and risk for death are lacking.Study designRetrospective cohort study.Setting & participantsA nationally representative cohort of 2,360,056 US veterans with baseline estimated glomerular filtration rates (eGFRs) ≥ 60mL/min/1.73m(2), followed up from October 2004 to September 2006.Predictor4 pain categories were compared: none (score, 0), mild (1-4), moderate (5-6), or severe (≥7).OutcomeseGFR decline (determined by eGFR slope) and combined incident eGFR<60mL/min/1.73m(2) or all-cause death.MeasurementsWe examined the pain management pattern and association of reported pain with (1) rapid eGFR decline and (2) a composite outcome of incident eGFR<60mL/min/1.73m(2) or all-cause death using logistic regression and Cox models adjusted for baseline eGFR, demographics, comorbid conditions, cardiovascular risk factors, and depression.Results∼60% of veterans reported pain of any severity during the baseline period. The most commonly prescribed analgesics were opioids. In a dose-response relationship, veterans reporting moderate or severe pain had a higher risk for faster eGFR decline compared with those reporting none (ORs of 1.11 [95% CI, 1.09-1.14] and 1.17 [95% CI, 1.13-1.21] for moderate and severe pain, respectively). In combined analyses, veterans reporting moderate or severe pain both had 30% higher risk of the combined outcome (incident eGFR, 60 mL/min/1.73 m(2) or death) compared with those reporting none (HRs of 1.30 [95% CI, 1.28-1.31] and 1.30 [95% CI, 1.28-1.32] for moderate and severe pain, respectively).LimitationsLack of granular data regarding type and location of pain.ConclusionsWe observed a high prevalence of pain and analgesic prescription in the US veteran population with normal eGFRs. Pain was associated with a higher incidence of eGFRs<60mL/min/1.73m(2), faster kidney function decline, and higher mortality
