title: Association between Chronic Pain and Frailty in Mexican Elders.
abstract: Chronic pain is defined as pain lasting longer than six weeks and is one of the main complaints in elderly subjects. Frailty is a pathological condition that increases an individual's vulnerability by diminishing their homeostatic reserve, and it is considered a mortality risk factor. We examined the association between chronic pain and frailty in subjects who were recruited from a check-up clinic in Mexico City. Chronic pain and frailty were evaluated in 131 subjects through validated questionnaires. Descriptive and analytical statistics were performed. Of the participants, 41.9% presented with chronic pain, and 12.2% were frail. The unadjusted OR for the presence of frailty in subjects with chronic pain was 14.3 (95%CI 3.0-67.8), and the phi coefficient showed a weak positive correlation between the variables (Φ=0.352, p<0.001). In conclusion, chronic pain is associated with a higher risk of frailty. Well-timed diagnosis and treatment of chronic pain can help prevent dependency in these individuals.
authors.affiliation: Aura Matilde Jiméeacute;nez Garduño, Biochemistry Department, Medicine Faculty, UNAM, Mexico City, México, E-mail: auramjg@gmail.com, Phone: +5255155 43602979.
authors.forename: V M
authors.initials: VM
authors.lastname: Castañeda Morales
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Jiménez Garduño
authors.forename: M V
authors.initials: MV
authors.lastname: Escárcega
authors.forename: L D
authors.initials: LD
authors.lastname: Sánchez Velázquez
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Becerra Laparra
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000368:Aged; D059350:Chronic Pain / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D061345:Early Medical Intervention / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D016330:Frail Elderly / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D015577:Geriatric Assessment / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008800:Mexico / Q000453:epidemiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D012307:Risk Factors; D013223:Statistics as Topic