Chronic Pain in Women and its
Relationship to Opioid Addiction
Advancing Addiction Science
Wilson M. Compton, M.D., M.P.E.Deputy Director
National Institute on Drug Abuse
OPIOIDS are Powerful Analgesics for Treating Many Types of Pain…BUT
• They can result in addiction
• Tolerance can develop, necessitating increasing dose to achieve desired effect
• Recent data indicate that the prescribing of opioids by clinicians has increased threefold in the last 20 years, contributing to the problem of prescription opioid abuse
• They can produce significant (and sometimes lethal) side effects (including constipation, nausea and respiratory depression)
Evolution of Drivers of Opioid Overdose Deaths: Analgesics Heroin Fentanyl
0
2,000
4,000
6,000
8,000
10,000
12,000
14,000
16,000
18,000
20,000
17,087 Prescribed
19,413 “Fentanyl”
Source: NCHS WONDER, NCHS Data Brief 294
15,469 Heroin
Women Have Higher Rates of Opioid-Related Hospitalizations in Most States
Source: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), Center for Healthcare Delivery, Organization and Markets. Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP), HCUP Fast Stats, Opioid-Related Hospital Use (www.hcup-us.ahrq.gov/faststats/landing.isp)based on the HCUP National (nationwide) Inpatient Sample (NIS) and the Nationwide Emergency Department SAMPLE (NEDS).
Opioid-related hospital stays increased 75% for women from 2005-2014 compared to 55% for men
30.9
4.6
1.3
35.7
3.6
1.2
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
ANY USE IN PAST YEAR PAST YEAR MISUSE PAST MONTH MISUSE
MALE FEMALE
Use or Misuse of Prescription Pain RelieversAmong Persons 12 or Older, By Gender, 2017
Pe
rce
nt
2017 NSDUH, SAMHSA, 2018.
Recommendations included addressing disparities in the experience of pain
Rates of U.S. Adults 18 and Older Reporting PainIn Selected Areas, by Sex, 2015
Source: CDC and NCHS, 2015
9.9
27.6
13.9
21.4
30.4
17.4
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
Severeheadache or
migraine
Low back pain Neck pain
Men Women
And women’s reports of pain were more likely to be dismissed
Women appeared to suffer more pain in many categories
Source: CDC Vital Signs July 2013.
• Women are more likely to have chronic pain, be prescribed prescription painkillers, be given higher doses, and use them for longer time periods than men
• Women may become dependent on prescription painkillers more quickly than men
The Prescription Painkiller Problem Affects Women In Different Ways Than Men
• Women may be more likely than men to engage in “doctor shopping”
What Should We Be Working On to Achieve Safer and More Effective Treatment?
• Learning more about the neural mechanisms underlying chronic pain
• Exploring genomic underpinningsof chronic pain and its treatment
• Developing less abusable analgesics
• Identifying effective non-pharmacologicalinterventions for chronic pain
•Affects prenatal andpostnatal growth
• Increases the risk ofdevelopmental and behavioral deficits
Drug Abuse During Pregnancy…
Increasing Neonatal Opioid WithdrawalIncreasing NICU Admissions for Neonatal
Abstinence Syndrome NAS (per 1000
Admissions)
Source: Tolia VN, Patrick SW, et al., NEJM 2015;372:2118-2126.
Source: Winkelman TNA, Villapiano N, Kozhimannil KB, Davis MM, Patrick SM.. Pediatrics. 2018;141(4):e20173520
Increasing Costs for Neonatal Exposure
NIH Helping to End Addiction Long-term (HEAL) Initiative
• $500M/year funding provides opportunity to:– Improve prevention and treatment strategies,
both in clinic and real world settings, for opioid misuse and addiction
– Enhance pain management by furthering understanding of neurobiology of pain, developing non-addictive treatments, and building a Clinical Trial Network for pain
– Develop shared platforms through public and private partners
• Coordinating with Surgeon General, other HHS agencies, local government officials
All Hands on Deck!
HEAL Research Projects on Opioid Use Disorder (OUD)• Develop new treatments for opioid addiction, including more flexible
medications options and novel immunotherapies to opioids
• Advance clinical trials for Neonatal Opioid Withdrawal syndrome to improve short- and long-term outcomes for infants and children
• Enhance the NIDA Clinical Trials Network to build linkages with primary care, emergency departments, and the justice system
• Establish a Justice Community Opioid Innovation Network
• Optimize effective treatments for OUD in the field through the HEALingCommunities Study
Francis S. Collins, Walter J. Koroshetz, Nora D. Volkow. JAMA July 10, 2018
HEAL Research Projects on Pain Management
• Pinpoint acute to chronic pain signatures to identify those at risk for transition to chronic pain
• Discover and validate novel treatments for pain
– Work across entire NIH to include all therapeutic development programs
– Identify potential small molecules, biologics, devices, and natural products
– Develop preclinical screening platforms for testing
– Move successful compounds/devices to clinical trials
Francis S. Collins, Walter J. Koroshetz, Nora D. Volkow. JAMA July 10, 2018
Health Services and Observational Studies of Non-Pharmacological Approaches to Managing Pain and Co-Morbid Conditions in U.S. Military Personnel, Veterans, and their Families
• Longitudinal Study of Post-deployment CAM Pain Management Using DoD and VA Data
• Pain Care Quality And Integrated And Complementary Health Approaches
• Longitudinal Mixed Method Study Of Chronic Pain, PTSD, & CAM In OEF/OIF Veterans
• RCT of TDCS-Augmented CBT for Veterans with Pain and Opioid Misuse
• Collaborative Care For Veterans With Spine Pain And Mental Health Conditions
NIH Initiatives With a Military and Veteran Focus (e.g.)
Prevention and Health Promotion Interventions to Prevent Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse and Associated Physical and Psychological Health Problems in U.S. Military Personnel, Veterans and their Families
• Preventing Alcohol/Prescribed Drug Misuse in the National Guard: Web and Peer BI
• Quality Delivery Of Evidence-based Programs For National Guard And Reserve Families
NIH Initiatives With a Military and Veteran Focus (e.g.)