Persistent analgesic use and the association with chronic pain and other risk factors in the population—a longitudinal study from the Tromsø Study and the Norwegian Prescription Database

Purpose Analgesics are commonly used drugs. The long-term effectiveness is mostly unproven, while the risk of several serious adverse effects is well established. We aimed to estimate the prevalence and incidence of persistent analgesic use and the association with chronic pain and sociodemographic and comorbid risk factors.