The burden of pain on the shoulders of aging.
More than 9% of the world population is older than 60. With age comes additional vulnerability to pain and the accumulation of insults that can engender ongoing misery. Insights into molecular and cellular aspects of pain might help escort people more comfortably into the senior ranks, but research that specifically addresses pain in the elderly is only now gearing up. Although a comprehensive understanding of how aging affects pain--and vice versa--is far off, experts report a good outlook for helping the millions of undertreated older people who experience pain on a daily basis.
Beckman
Mary
M
D000368:Aged; D000375:Aging / Q000473:pathology*; D000818:Animals; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009619:Nociceptors / Q000502:physiology; D010146:Pain / Q000209:etiology*