US EditionNew study probes why chronic pain lasts longer in women
Researchers found testosterone-activated monocytes produce more IL-10, speeding pain resolution in men; 60-70% of chronic pain patients are women, NIH-funded study says.
- On Friday, Michigan State University published in Science Immunology that IL-10+ monocytes release interleukin-10 to switch off pain, explaining why chronic pain lasts longer in women.
- Facing data that women account for 60 to 70 percent of chronic pain cases, researchers sought to understand why pain persists more in women after similar injuries.
- In experiments combining people and mice, the team surveyed 245 study participants for nearly three months and performed at least five mouse tests showing male mice recovered faster with more active white blood cells producing IL-10, reversed by blocking male sex hormones.
- The study points to therapies that could target IL-10, opening non-opioid treatments like topical testosterone to resolve pain and reduce opioid prescriptions for millions of people.
- Experts urge caution and further study, noting 'We don't have any single, magical pathway,' while Laumet said, 'Future researchers can build on this work' and 'This study shows that pain resolution is not a passive process.
30 Articles
30 Articles
Why does women’s pain last longer than men’s? A new study offers an answer
(NBC News) – The research suggests that men’s immune systems have a better mechanism for shutting off pain, which could explain why women have more chronic symptoms. Historically, some doctors have dismissed these differences as women exaggerating their pain or being unable to tolerate the same discomfort as men. But studies have repeatedly found that women are more likely to experience chronic pain in general and that their pain lasts longer, o…
Hormone-Regulated Immune Cells Implicated in Longer Lasting Pain in Women
Chronic pain lasts longer for women than men, and new research suggests that differences in hormone-regulated immune cells, called monocytes, may help explain why. Researchers headed by a team at Michigan State University found that a subset of monocytes releases a molecule to switch off pain. These cells, the researchers discovered, are more active in males due to higher levels of sex hormones such as testosterone. The studies identified monocy…
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