Association between type 2 diabetes and chronic low back pain in general practices in Germany

Introduction There are conflicting results on the association between type 2 diabetes and chronic low back pain (CLBP). Therefore, the goal was to investigate the relationship between type 2 diabetes and CLBP in individuals followed in general practices in Germany. Research design and methods Adults diagnosed for the first time with type 2 diabetes in 809 general practices in Germany between 2005 and 2018 (index date) were included. Adults without type 2 diabetes were matched (1:1) to those with type 2 diabetes by sex, age, index year, and the annual number of medical consultations (index date: a randomly selected visit date). The association between type 2 diabetes and the 10-year incidence of CLBP was analyzed in conditional Cox regression models adjusted for a wide range of comorbidities, including hypertension, lipid metabolism disorders, and obesity. Results There were 139 002 individuals included in this study (women: 58.0%; mean (SD) age 62.5 (13.4) years). There was a positive association between type 2 diabetes and the incidence of CLBP in the overall sample (HR=1.23, 95% CI: 1.13 to 1.35). Sex-stratified analyses showed a higher risk of CLBP in women (HR=1.68, 95% CI: 1.43 to 1.90) and a lower risk in men with than in their counterparts without type 2 diabetes (HR=0.83, 95% CI: 0.71 to 0.97). Conclusions Newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes was associated with an increased risk of CLBP. There were important sex differences in the type 2 diabetes-CLBP relationship, and more research is warranted to investigate the underlying factors explaining these differences.