The Burden of Opioid-Induced Constipation in Younger Patients with Chronic Noncancer Pain.

Objective: The purpose of this analysis was to evaluate the experience of opioid-induced constipation in younger patients and identify differences in the experience of opioid-induced constipation and its symptoms between younger patients (<50 years) and older patients (50-64 years).

Design: Post hoc analysis of data from a 24-week prospective, multinational, longitudinal observational cohort study (NCT01928953).

Setting: Outpatient clinics in the United States, Canada, Germany, and United Kingdom.

Subjects: Two age-based subgroups of adult patients with chronic noncancer pain receiving four or more weeks of daily opioid therapy and experiencing opioid-induced constipation within the previous two weeks.

Methods: The number of spontaneous bowel movements, frequency of constipation symptoms, amount of bother associated with symptoms, Patient Assessment of Constipation-Symptoms questionnaire, and health-related quality of life and function outcomes.

Results: Overall, 419 patients were included in this analysis (younger patients, N = 184; older patients, N = 235). Among younger and older patients, respectively, constipation occurred within the first week after initiating opioid therapy for 32.8% and 35.9%. At baseline, the mean numbers of spontaneous bowel movements/week were 1.3 and 1.5, and moderate opioid-induced constipation-related interference with pain management was reported by 46.6% and 44.5%. Younger patients generally reported that opioid-induced constipation symptoms were more bothersome than did older patients. The impact of opioid-induced constipation on health-related quality of life, work productivity, and day-to-day activities was comparable.

Conclusions: In these patients receiving opioid therapy for chronic noncancer pain, the burden of opioid-induced constipation was comparable or greater for patients aged <50 years compared with that for patients aged 50-64 years.