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Papers of the Week


Papers: 10 Sep 2022 - 16 Sep 2022


2022 Sep 08


Pain

Healthy dietary indices and non-cancer pain: a systematic review of cross-sectional and longitudinal studies.

Abstract

Pain is a global public health problem given its high prevalence and incidence, long duration, and social and economic impact. There is growing interest in nutrition as potential modifiable risk factor related to pain; however, the associations between healthy dietary patterns and pain have not yet been well established. Thus, we aimed to systematically review and synthesise current cross-sectional and longitudinal evidence on the relationship between a priori healthy dietary patterns and non-cancer pain among adults aged≥18 years. We identified relevant published cross-sectional and longitudinal studies by systematically searching several electronic databases from inception to September 2021. Risk of bias was assessed using the modified Newcastle-Ottawa Scale for cohort studies. A total of 14 cross-sectional and six longitudinal studies were included in the review. These studies measured different dietary scores/indices, such as different measures of adherence to the Mediterranean diet and the dietary inflammatory index. Pain ascertainment methods and pain measurements used differed across studies. All twenty of the included studies had different study designs and statistical analysis. Of these studies, 10 reported an inverse association between adherence to a healthy dietary pattern and pain, 5 reported mixed results, and 5 reported no associations. Despite notable heterogeneity, 50% of included observational studies reported that adherence to a healthy diet, particularly the Mediterranean diet, is inversely associated with pain. Of note, the cross-sectional design of most studies precludes any causal interpretation. Moreover, limited and inconsistent evidence from longitudinal studies highlights the need for further studies.