In new findings reported by Niederstrasser et al in PLOS ONE, investigators examined the impact of chronic musculoskeletal pain on the risk of work cessation and the age of retirement. Prior research has demonstrated that chronic pain may lead to higher levels of absenteeism and presenteeism at work—particularly among older patients. In the recent study, investigators examined the relationships between chronic musculoskeletal pain and work cessation as well as retirement in 1,156 patients aged 50 years and older who participated in the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing. After a follow-up of 14 years, participants who experienced frequent pain were more likely to cease work sooner (hazard ratio [HR] = 1.25, confidence interval [CI] = 1.10–1.43) and retire at a younger age (HR = 1.30, CI = 1.12–1.49). They noted that work dissatisfaction, higher perceived social status, female gender, and lower-than-expected recognition at work were also factors associated with an earlier retirement age. The investigators emphasized that further studies may be needed to fully understand the mechanisms and decision-making contributing to earlier retirement in this patient population. The study authors concluded: “It is remarkable that pain predicts earlier retirement and work cessation to a similar extent or even more strongly than other variables. It shows just how much impact pain can have on all aspects of [patients’] lives.”