Women's pain may last longer than men's, study suggests

A study in Science Immunology found that men showed higher levels of interleukin‑10, an immune molecule linked to shutting off pain, and that men in a 245‑person trauma cohort and in mouse experiments experienced faster resolution of post‑injury pain.

Researchers report a biological clue to a long‑standing observation that women more often develop persistent pain after the same injury than men. The new study looked at people who had experienced traumatic injury and at laboratory mice to compare how pain resolved. Investigators measured immune molecules and examined how sex hormones related to those immune responses. Authors and outside experts said the results do not explain all chronic pain but offer a potential biological pathway to study further. Key findings: - In a group of 245 people who had traumatic injuries, men and women reported similar pain severity at the time of injury, but men's pain tended to resolve faster over nearly three months. - Blood tests in the study showed higher levels of interleukin‑10, a molecule that can reduce pain signaling, in men compared with women. - Lab experiments in mice produced similar patterns: male mice showed quicker recovery after inflammatory stimulation and surgical incision, and their white blood cells produced more interleukin‑10. - Researchers reported that testosterone increased interleukin‑10 production from white blood cells in their experiments, which the authors linked to the observed sex differences. Summary: The study connects higher interleukin‑10 activity in males to faster resolution of certain post‑traumatic pain responses and notes a role for testosterone in boosting that immune signal. Researchers and outside experts said the results point to a biological mechanism to investigate further, and the authors suggested the findings could eventually inform new treatment approaches; Undetermined at this time.