Fibromyalgia Less Painful for Older Patients

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Older people with fibromyalgia report less pain and discomfort than their younger counterparts, according to a new report.

While it is possible that the severity of the chronic condition declines with age, the explanation may be more psychological than physical, the researchers suggest.

Previous studies have indicated that older people tend to perceive their overall health status more positively than younger adults, even though the former may have multiple illnesses, said study author Dr. Terry Cronan of San Diego State University and colleagues. In addition, they said, because seniors often expect their health to decline, they may assume that fibromyalgia symptoms such as pain and stiffness are just a normal consequence of aging and thus not attribute them to the condition.

"Younger people, on the other hand, expect to be healthy and participate in an active life; when faced with a chronic health problem they see it as negative and more disruptive," Cronan and colleagues write in a recent issue of the Journal of Aging and Health.

"Hence, they may evaluate their health more negatively and are more apt to report their symptoms or complain," they said. "Thus, the actual health of the person may not improve with age, but differing perceptions produce decreases in the overt expression of discomfort."

Fibromyalgia affects about 2% the population, primarily women, according to the paper. Patients commonly report feeling tenderness, stiffness and sometimes unbearable pain in various areas of the body. They also may suffer from fatigue, headaches, gastrointestinal problems and other symptoms.

The new study involved 600 fibromyalgia patients, mostly female, who were members of a large health maintenance organization. They were grouped by age: young (20-39); middle-aged (40-59); and older (60-85). All participants completed a series of questionnaires assessing pain, sleep quality, depression and other factors relating to their health.

Results showed that while the older patients had suffered with the disease for years longer than the other age groups, they reported better sleep quality and less pain, depression and illness impact than the rest of the study participants.

SOURCE: Journal of Aging and Health 2002;14:370-384.

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