Add premature signs of aging to the list of problems pain can impose on younger Baby Boomers that make them look and feel as if they're 20-30 years older than they really are, according to a new study.

Researchers reviewed data on more than 18,500 patients (ages 50-older) participating in the 2004 Health and Retirement Study examining the markedly increasing number of functional limits that impede a person's ability to live independently as they age. Among the physical functions considered: Daily living activities like bathing or eating, using one's upper extremities and mobility issues such as walking or climbing stairs.

The physical abilities of young Baby Boomers in the 50-59 age bracket who suffered from pain were very comparable to patients in the 80-89 demographic who experienced no pain issues. By the numbers, only 4 percent of fiftysomething patients in pain could jog a mile and just 55 percent were able to walk several blocks.

Although the study wasn't built to determine if pain causes disability or vice versa, scientists believe both scenarios may be true and that "pain and disability probably can act together in ways that make both problems worsen in a downward spiral." Moreover, patients may be better served if pain and disabilities are treated at the same time, not separately.

Journal of the American Geriatric Society, Vol. 57, No. 9, pp. 1556-1561, September 2009

ScienceDaily September 21, 2009