According to a study, more than two in five Britons will experience some form of chronic pain in their 40s.
Researchers found that people in this age group with persistent physical pain were more likely to be affected by adverse health outcomes later in life, such as Coronavirus disease and depression.
The findings showed that chronic pain at age 44 was associated with very severe pain at age 51 and future unemployment.
The study showed that 41 percent of people in their 40s reported chronic pain — defined as lasting at least three months.
Studies have shown that people who suffer from this pain at age 44 are more likely to be unhappy at age 50 and more likely to develop depression at age 55.
There was also a correlation between chronic pain and a higher likelihood of contracting COVID 20 years later in 2021.
There is a link between coronavirus infection and education, as 50% of people without education also report experiencing chronic pain.
In contrast, 36% of degree holders and 27% of degree holders suffer from chronic pain.
“Chronic pain is a very serious problem”
Study co-author Professor Alex Bryson, from the UCL Institute for Social Research, said: “Chronic pain is a very serious problem that affects many people.
“Following the birth cohort over their life course, we found that chronic pain was highly persistent and was associated with poor mental health outcomes later in life, including depression, as well as leading to poorer general health and unemployment.
“We hope our research sheds light on this issue and its wide-ranging implications, and that policymakers take it more seriously.”
The team looked at the health of more than 12,000 people born in the UK for a week in March 1958 until they turned 62.
The study, funded by the Health Foundation, is published in the journal Plos One.