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The following is a summary of “Health-related quality of life, lifestyle habits and chronic pain in individuals with knee pain – a 2-year follow-up study,” published in the January 2025 issue of Pain by Sylwander et al. 

Knee pain is linked to a higher risk of chronic widespread pain (CWP) and knee osteoarthritis (KOA), both of which are becoming more prevalent, highlighting the need for early prevention.  

Researchers conducted a retrospective study to examine the associations between health-related quality of life (HRQoL), lifestyle habits, and chronic pain at a 2-year follow-up in individuals with knee pain.  

They included 251 individuals aged 30–60 years reporting knee pain at baseline. The HRQoL was measured using the Short-Form General Health Survey (SF-36), and lifestyle habits were assessed through questions on overweight, physical activity, diet, alcohol, and tobacco use. Pain was measured with a pain mannequin. Differences in health status and lifestyle habits over time across groups with no chronic pain (NCP), those transitioning to more or less pain, and those with unchanged CWP were analyzed using Wilcoxon’s, McNemar’s, and Friedman’s tests and the multinominal regression analysis was performed investigate linkage with reporting chronic pain at follow-up. 

The results showed better HRQoL across various SF-36 concepts and normal weight at baseline were linked with reporting NCP after 2 years. Only minor changes were observed in HRQoL and lifestyle habits over the 2 years, but an improvement in general health was associated with transitioning to less pain.  

Investigators concluded that individuals presenting with knee pain in primary care settings, particularly those who are overweight or have lower HRQoL, should receive comprehensive care to proactively address factors that might contribute to the development of CWP. 

Source: tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/02813432.2025.2452916#abstract