RESEARCH - Chronic pain linked to risk for falls in older adults

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Chronic Pain Linked to Risk for Falls in Older Adults

Laurie Barclay, MD

November 24, 2009 — Severe, chronic pain in multiple areas may predict

risk for falls in older adults, according to the results of a

population-based longitudinal study reported in the November 25 issue

of the Journal of the American Medical Association.

" Chronic pain is a major contributor to disability in older adults;

however, the potential role of chronic pain as a risk factor for falls

is poorly understood, " write Suzanne G. Leveille, PhD, RN, from Beth

Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, Massachusetts, and the

University of Massachusetts-Boston, and colleagues. " Falls rank among

the 10 leading causes of death in older adults in the United States,

resulting in more than $19 billion in health care costs annually.

Despite a growing body of scientific evidence supporting associations

between a number of risk factors and falls, efforts to translate these

findings into effective fall prevention strategies have been limited. "

The goal of this study was to examine whether chronic musculoskeletal

pain is associated with greater prevalence of falls in a cohort of 749

community-dwelling adults 70 years and older enrolled in the

Maintenance of Balance, Independent Living, Intellect, and Zest in the

Elderly (MOBILIZE) Boston Study.

From September 2005 through January 2008, participants were enrolled,

and they subsequently

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Read the full article here:

http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/712952

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