• Pernille D K Diasso, Benedikte S Frederiksen, Susanne D Nielsen, Katharina M Main, Per Sjøgren, and Geana P Kurita.
• Department of Oncology, Rigshospitalet - Copenhagen University Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark.
• Eur J Pain. 2021 Oct 1; 25 (9): 1859-1875.

Background And ObjectiveLong-term opioid treatment (L-TOT) of chronic non-cancer pain (CNCP) patients has been suspected to alter the endocrine system. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed at investigating the published evidence of L-TOT effects on the endocrine system in adult CNCP patients.Databases And Data TreatmentA systematic search of the literature in MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials and the CINAHL was performed. Studies examining measures of endocrine function of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal, -adrenal, -thyroid, -somatotropic and -prolactin axis in adult CNCP patients in L-TOT (≥4 weeks of use) were included. Outcomes and the level of evidence were analyzed (The Cochrane Collaboration Tool, modified version of the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale and Rating of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation working group).ResultsA total of 2,660 studies were identified; 1981 excluded and finally thirteen studies (one randomized controlled trial (RCT), three longitudinal- and nine cross-sectional studies) were analyzed. L-TOT was associated with low insulin, suppression of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis and alterations of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis in both men and women with CNCP compared to different control groups (CNCP or healthy pain-free). No other significant differences were reported. The studies had a high risk of bias and the overall quality of evidence was low.ConclusionThere seems to be an impact of L-TOT in CNCP patients on several components of the endocrine system, but the level of evidence is weak. Given the high prevalence of L-TOT use systematic studies of larger patient populations are urgently needed.SignificanceThis systematic review and meta-analysis suggested that long-term opioid treatment may suppress the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis, and result in lower insulin levels and alter the glucocorticoid adrenal axis in adult chronic non-cancer pain patients. This adds to the need of more research of both clinical and paraclinical outcomes and their association when initiating and maintaining long-term opioid treatment.© 2021 European Pain Federation - EFIC®.

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