Walking speed linked to elderly survival
Wednesday November 11th, 2009
New evidence, reported today has underlined the importance of fitness in older age.
There is growing interest in using walking speed to easily assess fitness in older people, explain Dr Alexis Elbaz of the National Institute of Health and Medical Research, Paris, France, and colleagues.
Previous studies in apparently healthy older people have shown that decreased walking speed can predict falls, disability, admissions to hospital, and mortality.
The team recruited 3,208 men and women aged over 65 years, who were followed for about five years. During this time, 209 participants died: 99 from cancer, 59 from heart disease, and 51 from other causes.
Those in the lowest third for walking speed had a 44 per cent higher risk of death than those in the fastest third. Risk of death from heart disease was increased three times, but there was no specific link with cancer or other causes of death. Full results are published on the website of the British Medical Journal.
The authors conclude: "Assessment of motor performances in older people with simple measures such as walking speed can be performed easily, and the role of fitness in preserving life and function in older age is important."
Professor Rowan Harwood of Nottingham University, UK, adds in an editorial that slow walking speed in elderly people may also predict future frailty. "If interventions can modify frailty or attenuate its association with poor outcomes, they are likely to be valuable, not just in preventing vascular disease," he writes.
Interventions such as promoting exercise and a good diet have not clearly improved risk levels, except in the case of preventing falls.
"Evidence that this extends to other outcomes (such as death and institutionalisation) is suggestive, but weak," Professor Harwood concludes.
Harwood, R. H. and Conroy, S. P. Slow walking speed in elderly people. The British Medical Journal, 2009;339:b4236.
Tags: Europe | Fitness | Geriatric Health | UK News
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