Naeini Maryam Kazemi, Cecelja Marina, Freidin Maxim B, Smith Isabelle Granville, Hysi Pirro, Nielsen Christopher Sivert, Williams Frances M K
Department of Twin Research and Genetic Epidemiology, School of Life Course and Population Sciences, King's College London, London, United Kingdom.
Department of Biology, School of Biological and Behavioural Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London, United Kingdom.
Pain. 2025 Jun 1;166(6):1425-1435. doi: 10.1097/j.pain.0000000000003486. Epub 2024 Dec 3.
Chronic widespread pain (CWP) is prevalent and associated with reduced life expectancy. Cardiovascular disease is one possible mechanism for this. The purpose of this study was to examine the association of CWP with arterial stiffness and carotid plaque measured using ultrasound to determine if shared environmental or genetic factors might account for any observed association. Around 3000 participants from the TwinsUK with CWP information and measures of carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (cfPWV), carotid intima-media thickness (cIMT), and plaque were considered. The relationship between CWP and cfPWV, cIMT, and plaque was determined. UK Biobank data were used to replicate the association. Cholesky decomposition and multivariate pathway twin models were examined. Using a 2-sample Mendelian randomisation approach, the causal association between CWP and coronary artery disease was assessed. TwinsUK participants demonstrated a significant association between CWP and increased cfPWV consistent with arterial stiffening (OR = 1.35, P -value = 0.012), as well as the presence of carotid plaque (OR = 1.45, P -value = 0.8e-5). The twin modelling showed a common latent component and pathway underlying CWP, cfPWV, and carotid plaque, with genetic factors accounting for 68% and 90% of the latent factor variation, respectively. The 2-sample MR revealed a potential causal association between CWP and coronary artery disease. This study found that those with CWP have increased the risk of arterial stiffness and atherosclerosis and suggests that CWP leads to an increased risk of cardiovascular disease through genetic factors.
慢性广泛性疼痛（CWP）很常见，且与预期寿命缩短有关。心血管疾病是其中一种可能的机制。本研究的目的是通过超声检查CWP与动脉僵硬度和颈动脉斑块的关联，以确定共同的环境或遗传因素是否能解释任何观察到的关联。纳入了来自英国双胞胎队列（TwinsUK）的约3000名有CWP信息以及颈动脉-股动脉脉搏波速度（cfPWV）、颈动脉内膜中层厚度（cIMT）和斑块测量值的参与者。确定了CWP与cfPWV、cIMT和斑块之间的关系。使用英国生物银行（UK Biobank）的数据来重复这种关联。研究了Cholesky分解和多变量路径双生子模型。采用两样本孟德尔随机化方法评估CWP与冠状动脉疾病之间的因果关联。TwinsUK参与者中，CWP与cfPWV升高（与动脉僵硬度一致，比值比[OR]=1.35，P值=0.012）以及颈动脉斑块的存在（OR=1.45，P值=8×10⁻⁵）之间存在显著关联。双生子模型显示，CWP、cfPWV和颈动脉斑块存在共同的潜在成分和路径，遗传因素分别占潜在因素变异的68%和90%。两样本孟德尔随机化分析揭示了CWP与冠状动脉疾病之间可能存在因果关联。本研究发现，患有CWP的人动脉僵硬度和动脉粥样硬化风险增加，提示CWP通过遗传因素导致心血管疾病风险增加。
