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Chronic pain, perceived stress, and cellular aging: an exploratory study
Kimberly T Sibille1, Taimour Langaee, Ben Burkley
1College of Dentistry, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610-3628, USA. ksibille@ufl.edu
Molecular Pain
|February 14, 2012
Summary
Leukocyte telomere length (TL), a marker of cellular aging, was shorter in older adults with chronic pain and high perceived stress. This suggests cellular aging may accelerate in individuals experiencing both chronic pain and significant stress.
Area of Science:
- Gerontology
- Pain Research
- Cellular Biology
Background:
- Chronic pain exhibits high individual variability, complicating the identification of pathophysiological markers.
- Leukocyte telomere length (TL), a measure of cellular aging, is linked to stress and functional decline.
- The role of TL in reflecting the burden of chronic pain and psychosocial stress is unexplored.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between chronic pain, psychosocial stress, and leukocyte telomere length (TL) in older adults.
- To determine if TL can serve as a biological marker for the cumulative burden of chronic pain and stress.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of 36 ethnically diverse older adults, divided into chronic knee osteoarthritis pain and no pain groups.
- Assessment included physical exams, radiographs, health history, psychosocial questionnaires, and blood sample analysis for TL via qPCR.
- Participants were categorized into four groups based on pain status and perceived stress levels.
Main Results:
- Leukocyte telomere length (TL) differed significantly between the pain and stress groups (p = 0.01).
- The chronic pain/high stress group exhibited significantly shorter TL compared to the no pain/low stress group.
- Age was negatively correlated with TL, especially in the chronic pain/high stress group (p = 0.03).
Conclusions:
- Findings suggest cellular aging may be accelerated in older adults experiencing both chronic pain and high perceived stress.
- Leukocyte telomere length (TL) may represent a biological marker for the combined burden of chronic pain and psychosocial stress.
- Further research with larger sample sizes is warranted to confirm these preliminary findings.
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