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Co‐morbidity in persistent opioid users with chronic non‐malignant pain in N orway
Author(s) -
Mellbye A.,
Karlstad Ø.,
Skurtveit S.,
Borchgrevink P.C.,
Fredheim O.M.S.
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
european journal of pain
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.305
H-Index - 109
eISSN - 1532-2149
pISSN - 1090-3801
DOI - 10.1002/j.1532-2149.2014.00449.x
Subject(s) - medicine , population , opioid , chronic pain , norwegian , comorbidity , medical prescription , disease , psychiatry , pharmacology , linguistics , philosophy , receptor , environmental health
Background In patients with chronic non‐malignant pain ( CNMP ), co‐morbid physical or mental health disorders are common and may have a negative impact on health‐related quality of life and treatment outcomes. The purpose of this study was to examine the occurrence of chronic psychiatric and somatic diseases in persistent opioid users with CNMP compared with the general population in N orway. Methods In this cross‐sectional study, prescription patterns of dispensed opioids were used to identify a study population of persistent opioid users with CNMP from the general population. Reimbursed prescriptions marked with diagnostic codes were used to identify the occurrence of 21 somatic and 3 psychiatric diseases for a 1‐year period in the N orwegian P rescription D atabase. Occurrence of disease in persistent opioid users was compared to an age‐ and gender‐specific population of all N orwegian residents aged 18–79 years in 2009. S tandardized morbidity ratios ( SMRs ) for each disease were calculated. Results Eighty‐five percent of the persistent opioid user population had at least one co‐morbid disease compared with 45% of the general population. Forty‐two percent had three or more co‐morbidities. SMRs in both men and women were generally increased except for dementia, glaucoma and renal disease, indicating a higher occurrence of disease in persistent opioid users. Conclusions A higher occurrence of both somatic and psychiatric co‐morbidities in disease stages warranting pharmacological treatment was found in persistent opioid users with CNMP compared with the general population of N orway.