A new study brings some depressing statistics. Baby Boomers report more health problems and more pain and difficulty in performing daily tasks than did their predecessors just 10 years ago.

Recent studies have shown the rate of disability among those 65 and older to be declining but these statistics suggest that in 10 years, boomers may not be enjoying the same rate of good health. Researchers compared self-reported health in three age groups – those born in 1936-41 (now ages 66 to 71), 1942-47 (now ages 60 to 65) and 1948-53 (now ages 54 to 59).

The study showed:

* The two younger groups were less likely than the oldest group to have said their health was “excellent or very good” at 51 to 56 years of age.
* The youngest group reported having more pain, chronic health conditions, and drinking and psychiatric problems than people who were the same age 12 years earlier.
* Compared with the oldest group, the youngest group was more likely to have reported difficulty in walking, climbing steps, getting up from a chair, kneeling or crouching, and doing other normal daily physical tasks.

So, what happened? Researchers suggest that it may be the rising incidence of obesity and obesity-related problems such as diabetes and heart disease.

I wonder if there isn’t a psychological aspect to these physiological findings. The oldest group, born during The Great Depression and World War II, experienced more hardship and had parents who experienced more hardship than did the subsequent generations. The boomer generation is the one that celebrated youth, the generation least comfortable with the idea of growing old, the generation that proclaimed distrust for anyone over 30. Boomers may the be generation most uncomfortable with the physical evidence of aging, and therefore take more notice of it.

Whatever the reason, the data suggest that the boomer generation may not reach retirement age as active individuals refusing to leave the work force but instead contribute to rising health care costs.

A study of more than 65,000 women aged 50 to 79 concludes that women who live in areas with high levels of air pollution run a greater risk of developing cardiovascular disease.

The women lived in 36 cities across the US and were followed for 9 years to see who would have a heart attack or stroke, require coronary bypass surgery or die from cardiovascular causes. Those living in the areas with the highest pollution were much more likely to have cardiovascular disease of some type.

The researchers link the amount of fine dust and soot particles in the air to the risk of heart disease. They are not sure of the mechanism but theorize that breathing in these particles, which can carry pollutant gases into the lungs, may cause hardening of the arteries, a precursor of heart disease.

The University of Washington study is published in the Feb 1 issue of The New England Journal of Medicine.

Women In Polluted Areas At Higher Risk Of Cardiovascular Disease

On February 15, the American Physical Therapy Association will sponsor national toll-free hotline to address back pain among baby boomers.

Back pain is common among boomers but they may be less likely to accept the changes that come with age; changes like chronic low back pain and osteoarthritis. The APTA believes that physical therapy intervention can identify pain-causing behaviors, such as poor posture or improper exercise techniques. Physical therapy can also improve the range of motion in aging joints, increase muscle strength and cardiovascular endurance while decreasing pain for boomers leading active lives.

Back pain among baby boomers will be the subject of the hotline with physical therapists on hand to answer questions about injury prevention, exercise and ways to prevent back pain.

The toll-free number is 1-877-NEED-A-PT (633-3278) and will be available on Thursday, February 15, from 9:00am until 5:00pm EST.

American Physical Therapy Association

Recently, Chariman of the Federal Reserve Board, Ben Bernanke, predicted dire economic consequences of having left the issue of Social Security so late. His remarks concern the impending retirement of the Baby Boomer generation, with the first of them just one year from retirement age.

But will it be as economically destructive as we think? Some say: not necessarily.

The plain fact is that most boomers have not done enough to plan for retirement and won’t be retiring at age 65 because they simply can’t afford to. A survey conducted by Merrill Lynch found that nearly 80% of boomers intend to keep working beyond age 65.

Although boomers are expected to live longer than any other generation in American history, potentially bankrupting Social Security and Medicare, improved health will also allow them to work longer and continue to contribute to the economy, rather than retiring. Additionally, better health (as evidenced by the dropping rates of death from heart disease, stroke and even cancer) indicate that the boomer retirees will be less dependent than other generations, lowering medical costs and long-term care expenditures.

The boomer generation has always been different and did everything differently from all generations that came before them. Their ideas and actions changed the face of society and perhaps the course of history. When it comes to growing older, it is likely they will do that differently from other generations as well.