Korean J Pain.  2021 Jun;34(3):322-331. 10.3344/kjp.2021.34.3.322.

A Korean nationwide investigation of the national trend of complex regional pain syndrome vis-à-vis age-structural transformations

• Lee JH
• Park S
• Kim JH

• KMID: 2517516
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3344/kjp.2021.34.3.322

Abstract

Background
The present study employed National Health Insurance Data to explore complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) updated epidemiology in a Korean context.
Methods
A CRPS cohort for the period 2009-2016 was created based on Korean Standard Classification of Diseases codes alongside the national registry. The general CRPS incidence rate and the yearly incidence rate trend for every CRPS type were respectively the primary and secondary outcomes. Among the analyzed risk factors were age, sex, region, and hospital level for the yearly trend of the incidence rate for every CRPS. Statistical analysis was performed via the chi-square test and the linear and logistic linear regression tests.
Results
Over the research period, the number of registered patients was 122,210. The general CRPS incidence rate was 15.83 per 100,000, with 19.5 for type 1 and 12.1 for type 2. The condition exhibited a declining trend according to its overall occurrence, particularly in the case of type 2 (P < 0.001). On the other hand, registration was more pervasive among type 1 compared to type 2 patients (61.7% vs.38.3%), while both types affected female individuals to a greater extent. Regarding age, individuals older than 60 years of age were associated with the highest prevalence in both types, regardless of sex (P< 0.001).
Conclusions
CRPS displayed an overall incidence of 15.83 per 100,000 in Korea and a declining trend for every age group which showed a negative association with the aging shift phenomenon.

Keyword

Aging; Big Data; Chronic Pain; Cohort Studies; Complex Regional Pain Syndromes; Epidemiologic Studies; Incidence; National Health Programs; Population; Prevalence; Registries; Risk Factors

Figure

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  Fig. 1 Overall patient trends for complex regional pain syndrome type 1 and type 2 incidences between 2009 and 2016.

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  Fig. 2 Overall trends of the complex regional pain syndrome type 1 and type 2 incidences in patients: (A) overall trend between 2009 and 2016 showed a decreasing pattern; (B) the patient rate per 100,000 population showed a decrease in all age groups, except for the 20-29 and 30-39 patient groups.

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  Fig. 3 The association between the proportion of patients per 100,000 people and the proportion of population by year for every age group in complex regional pain syndrome type 1.

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  Fig. 4 The association between the proportion of patients per 100,000 people and the proportion of population by year for every age group in complex regional pain syndrome type 2.

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