Effects of Walking with Aids on Walking Speed and Selected Cardiovascular Parameters in Apparently Healthy Elderly Individuals

Abstract

Background: Elderly individuals make up a large part of the population, many of whom use walking aids and also tend to have a higher percentage of cardiovascular complications. There is a need to document the effects of walking with different aids on walking speed and selected cardiovascular parameters. Objectives: This study aimed at determining and comparing the effects of walking with cane, tripod, and walking frame on walking speed and selected cardiovascular parameters in apparently healthy elderly individuals. Methods: Thirty-five (35) elderly individuals participated in this study. Participants’ systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), and heart rate (HR) were measured after ambulation with and without walking aids. Walking speed (WS) was measured as each participant walked at their normal comfortable pace without aid and with 3 walking aids on separate days. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to find a significant difference between variables. Results: Participants’ mean age was 74.89 ± 7.15 years. Systolic blood pressure (SBP) (138.57 ± 16.62 mmHg), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), (80.37 ± 9.57 mmHg), and heart rate (HR) (75.51 ± 9.54 beats/min) after walking frame ambulation were higher than with cane (132.91 ± 18.97 mmHg; 78.74 ± 8.59 mmHg; 75.37 ± 10.28 beats/min) and tripod (130.40 ± 16.59 mmHg; 77.31 ± 9.13 mmHg; 74.63 ± 9.92 beats/min) ambulation, respectively. Walking speed (0.58 ± 0.21 m/s) with a cane was significantly faster (P = 0.001) than with frame (0.31 ± 0.12 m/s), and tripod (0.50 ± 0.19 m/s). Conclusions: Walking frame ambulation elicited a higher blood pressure, a higher HR and a slower WS than cane and tripod ambulation, respectively. The participants walked significantly faster with a cane than tripod and walking frame.