A groundbreaking study led by Dr. Tuan Trang, a professor at the University of Calgary, sheds new light on why women are disproportionately affected by chronic pain compared to men. Published in Neuron, the study focuses on the biological mechanisms that may explain the over-representation of women experiencing chronic pain, particularly neuropathic pain.
The Canadian Pain Task Force’s 2019 report revealed that chronic pain is more prevalent among females across all age groups, including children, when compared to their male counterparts. While both men and women experience pain, the study identifies distinct biological processes that may explain why women develop chronic pain more frequently.
Dr. Trang, who is also a professor at the Cumming School of Medicine (CSM), emphasized the role of a unique immune cell process in chronic pain. This process involves pannexin 1 (Panx1) channels, which transmit pain signals in both males and females but through different immune cells. In female rodents, the activation of these channels releases leptin, a hormone that has been linked to increased pain sensitivity.
The study, conducted on rats and mice, specifically investigates neuropathic pain, a condition triggered by nerve or nervous system injury. A common symptom of this is allodynia, where individuals experience pain from stimuli that typically wouldn’t cause discomfort, such as light touch or temperature fluctuations. This condition can be extremely difficult to treat, and the study offers new insight into its underlying mechanisms.
Dr. Trang noted that much of the preclinical research on chronic pain has focused on male subjects, leading to treatments that may not be as effective for females. “We know that a lot of preclinical research has been in male subjects. Consequently, treatments were often developed from a male-based understanding and may not be very effective in females,” he said.
The research builds on previous findings showing that women with chronic pain tend to have higher levels of leptin in their blood. As far back as the 1980s, studies of human blood samples revealed that female patients with chronic pain exhibited elevated leptin levels compared to those without chronic pain.
Dr. Lori Montgomery, a pain clinician and clinical associate professor at CSM, highlighted the importance of both sex and gender in pain management. “In the clinic, we’ve known for many years that women are more likely than men to suffer from chronic pain, and it’s often hard to know why some people respond to treatment and others don’t,” she said. “This latest research might prove to be one of the ways that we can personalize treatment for patients so that it’s more likely to be effective.”
Related topic:
Limiting TV Time Reduces Heart Disease Risk, Study Shows
Teen Mental Wellbeing Improves, But Depressive Symptoms Worsen for Some
High-Fat Diets During Pregnancy Linked to Liver Damage in Offspring
