What Can Population-Based Studies Tell Us About Pain in the Last Years of Life?
Authors: M. C. Reid
Journal: Annals of Internal Medicine (2010)

Editorials2 November 2010What Can Population-Based Studies Tell Us About Pain in the Last Years of Life?M. C. Reid, MD, PhDM. C. Reid, MD, PhDFrom Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY 10065.Search for more papers by this authorAuthor, Article, and Disclosure Informationhttps://doi.org/10.7326/0003-4819-153-9-201011020-00013 SectionsAboutFull TextPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail Pain is common, costly, and frequently disabling among elderly persons (1, 2). Arthritis is among the most common causes of pain among older persons (3). Other disabling painful conditions in this age group include cancer (4–6) and neuropathies associated with diabetes and herpes zoster (7). Pain is also a highly prevalent symptom of the advanced stages of many chronic illnesses (8–10). The negative consequences of pain are far-reaching and include impaired quality of life, poor sleep, decreased immune function, cognitive changes, and decreased mobility (11). Daily pain is a strong and independent predictor of low self-rated health, with an effect ...References1. Elliott AM, Smith BH, Penny KI, Smith WC, Chambers WA. The epidemiology of chronic pain in the community. Lancet. 1999;354:1248-52. [PMID: 10520633] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar2. Helme RD, Gibson SJ. The epidemiology of pain in elderly people. Clin Geriatr Med. 2001;17:417-31. [PMID: 11459713] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar3. Lawrence RC, Helmick CG, Arnett FC, Deyo RA, Felson DT, Giannini EH, et al. Estimates of the prevalence of arthritis and selected musculoskeletal disorders in the United States. Arthritis Rheum. 1998;41:778-99. [PMID: 9588729] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar4. Altekruse SF, Kosary CL, Krapcho M, Neyman N, Aminou R, Waldron W, et al. SEER Cancer Statistics Review, 1975-2007. Bethesda, MD: National Cancer Institute; 2010. Accessed at seer.cancer.gov/csr/1975_2007/ on 20 September 2010. Google Scholar5. Rao A, Cohen HJ. Symptom management in the elderly cancer patient: fatigue, pain, and depression. J Natl Cancer Inst Monogr. 2004;:150-7. [PMID: 15263059] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar6. Potter J, Higginson IJ. Pain experienced by lung cancer patients: a review of prevalence, causes and pathophysiology. Lung Cancer. 2004;43:247-57. [PMID: 15165082] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar7. Schmader KE. Epidemiology and impact on quality of life of postherpetic neuralgia and painful diabetic neuropathy. Clin J Pain. 2002;18:350-4. [PMID: 12441828] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar8. Potter J, Hami F, Bryan T, Quigley C. Symptoms in 400 patients referred to palliative care services: prevalence and patterns. Palliat Med. 2003;17:310-4. [PMID: 12822846] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar9. Walke LM, Byers AL, Tinetti ME, Dubin JA, McCorkle R, Fried TR. 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[PMID: 15197042] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar14. Smith AK, Cenzer IS, Knight SJ, Puntillo KA, Widera E, Williams BA, et al. The epidemiology of pain during the last 2 years of life. Ann Intern Med. 2010;153:563-9. LinkGoogle Scholar15. Walke LM, Byers AL, McCorkle R, Fried TR. Symptom assessment in community-dwelling older adults with advanced chronic disease. J Pain Symptom Manage. 2006;31:31-7. [PMID: 16442480] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar16. Landi F, Onder G, Cesari M, Gambassi G, Steel K, Russo A, et al. Pain management in frail, community-living elderly patients. Arch Intern Med. 2001;161:2721-4. [PMID: 11732938] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar17. Green CR, Anderson KO, Baker TA, Campbell LC, Decker S, Fillingim RB, et al. The unequal burden of pain: confronting racial and ethnic disparities in pain. Pain Med. 2003;4:277-94. [PMID: 12974827] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar18. Lansbury G. Chronic pain management: a qualitative study of elderly people's preferred coping strategies and barriers to management. Disabil Rehabil. 2000;22:2-14. [PMID: 10661753] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar19. Promis Network. Patient Reported Outcomes Measurement System. Accessed at www.nihpromis.org/default.aspx on 20 September 2010. Google Scholar20. Chang VT, Hwang SS, Feuerman M. Validation of the Edmonton Symptom Assessment Scale. Cancer. 2000;88:2164-71. [PMID: 10813730] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar Author, Article, and Disclosure InformationAffiliations: From Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY 10065.Grant Support: By the National Institute of Nursing Research (grant R21 NR010200-03A1) and the National Institute on Aging (Edward R. Roybal Center Grant 1 P30 AG022845-07).Disclosures: None disclosed. Forms can be viewed at www.acponline.org/authors/icmje/ConflictOfInterestForms.do?msNum=M10-2179.Corresponding Author: M.C. Reid, MD, PhD, Division of Geriatrics and Gerontology, Weill Cornell Medical Center, Box 39, 525 East 68th Street, New York, NY, 10065; e-mail, [email protected]cornell.edu. PreviousarticleNextarticle Advertisement FiguresReferencesRelatedDetailsSee AlsoThe Epidemiology of Pain During the Last 2 Years of Life Alexander K. Smith , Irena Stijacic Cenzer , Sara J. Knight , Kathleen A. Puntillo , Eric Widera , Brie A. Williams , W. John Boscardin , and Kenneth E. Covinsky Metrics Cited byMusculoskeletal pain in older adults at the end-of-life: a systematic search and critical review of the literature with priorities for future researchAmerican Society for Pain Management Nursing Position Statement: Pain Management at the End of LifePersistence and Remission of Musculoskeletal Pain in Community-Dwelling Older Adults: Results from the Cardiovascular Health Study 2 November 2010Volume 153, Issue 9Page: 612-613KeywordsAgingAnalgesicsArthritisElderlyGeriatricsHealth care providersHealth surveysInformation storage and retrievalPain management ePublished: 2 November 2010 Issue Published: 2 November 2010 Copyright & PermissionsCopyright © 2010 by American College of Physicians. All Rights Reserved.PDF downloadLoading ...