Decline In Walking Speed Research Articles

Impact of tooth loss on walking speed decline over time in older adults: a population-based cohort study

Background Tooth loss has been linked to poor health such as chronic diseases and mobility limitations. Prospective evidence on the association between tooth loss and walking speed decline is however lacking.AimsTo examine the impact of tooth loss on walking speed over time and explore whether inflammation may account for this association.MethodsThis study included 2695 persons aged 60 years and older, who were free from severe mobility limitation at baseline. Information on dental status was assessed through self-report during the nurse interview at baseline. Walking speed baseline and at 3- and 6-year follow-ups was assessed when participants walked at their usual pace. Covariates included age, sex, education, lifestyle-related factors, and chronic diseases. Blood samples were taken, and C-reactive protein (CRP) was tested.ResultsAt baseline, 389 (13.1 %) participants had partial tooth loss and 204 (6.9 %) had complete tooth loss. Mixed-effects models showed that tooth loss was associated with a greater decline in walking speed over time after adjustment for lifestyle-related factors and chronic diseases (p = 0.001 for interaction between time and tooth loss on walking speed decline); however, when further adjusting for inflammation (CRP), the association was attenuated and no longer significant.ConclusionTooth loss was associated with an accelerated decline in walking speed in older adults. Inflammation may play a role in the association between tooth loss and walking speed decline.

Variability of gait speed during six minutes walking test in COPD and cystic fibrosis patients

BackgroundRecently, gait speed reached an increasing importance in the management of respiratory patients. The aim of this retrospective study was to compare walking speed and physiological adaptations during the 6MWT in COPD and CF patients. Methods6MWT performed by COPD and CF patients were retrospectively reviewed. Global and sequential walking speeds were measured on six minutes and every sequence of two minutes respectively. Heart rate, oxygen saturation and dyspnea were analyzed. Results78 and 246 tests from CF and COPD patients were reviewed respectively. FEV1 (52.3 vs 56.2% pred) and FVC (72.5 vs 73.8% pred) were similar between both diseases. However, 6MWT in patients with CF were characterized by significantly higher heart rate, global walking speed and walking distance (+68%) while dyspnea evolutions and the proportions of patients presenting walking speed decline over the 6min were significantly lower. ConclusionWalking speed and cardio-respiratory parameters evolution during 6MWT differ between COPD and CF patients.

Trajectories of Lower Extremity Physical Performance: Effects on Fractures and Mortality in Older Women.

Prior studies have only considered one measurement of physical performance in its relationship to fractures and mortality. A single measurement is susceptible to large within-person changes over time, and thus, may not capture the true association between physical performance and the outcomes of interest. Using data from the Study of Osteoporotic Fractures, we followed 7,015 women enrolled prior to age 80 years who had outcome information beyond this age. Trajectories of walking speed (m/s) and chair stand speed (stands/s) were estimated up to the last visit prior to age 80 years using mixed-effects linear regression. Physical performance at age 80 (PF_age80) was assessed at the last visit prior to age 80 years. Hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated using Cox proportional hazards regression and multivariate models adjusted for all other covariates. Greatest walking speed decline and chair stand speed decline were both associated with higher risk of hip fracture (HR: 1.28; 95% CI: 1.03, 1.58 and HR: 1.26; 95% CI: 1.03, 1.54, respectively), but not nonspine fractures. Greatest walking speed decline and chair stand speed decline were both associated with a significant 29% (95% CI: 17-42%) and 27% (95% CI: 15-39%) increased risk of mortality, respectively. Greatest declines in walking speed and chair stand speed were both associated with an increased risk of hip fracture and mortality independent of PF_age80 and other important confounders. Both physical performance change and the single physical performance measurement should be considered in the etiology of hip fracture and mortality.

31P Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy Assessment of Muscle Bioenergetics as a Predictor of Gait Speed in the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging.

Aerobic fitness and muscle bioenergetic capacity decline with age; whether such declines explain age-related slowing of walking speed is unclear. We hypothesized that muscle energetics and aerobic capacity are independent correlates of walking speed in simple and challenging performance tests and that they account for the observed age-related decline in walking speed in these same tests. Muscle bioenergetics was assessed as postexercise recovery rate of phosphocreatine (PCr), k PCr, using phosphorus magnetic resonance spectroscopy (31P-MRS) in 126 participants (53 men) of the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging aged 26-91 years (mean = 72 years). Four walking tasks were administered-usual pace over 6 m and 150 seconds and fast pace over 6 m and 400 m. Separately, aerobic fitness was assessed as peak oxygen consumption (peak VO2) using a graded treadmill test. All gait speeds, k PCr, and peak VO2 were lower with older age. Independent of age, sex, height, and weight, both k PCr and peak VO2 were positively and significantly associated with fast pace and long distance walking but only peak VO2 and not k PCr was significantly associated with usual gait speed over 6 m. Both k PCr and peak VO2 substantially attenuated the association between age and gait speed for all but the least stressful walking task of 6 m at usual pace. Muscle bioenergetics assessed using 31P-MRS is highly correlated with walking speed and partially explains age-related poorer performance in fast and long walking tasks.

Walking speed as an aging biomarker in baboons (Papio hamadryas).

Walking speed is an important human aging biomarker. Baboons are valuable translational models for aging studies. Establishing whether walking speed is a good aging biomarker has value. We hypothesized there would be characteristic age-related decline in baboon walking speed. We studied 33 female baboons aged 5-21 years. Walking speed was calculated by the time to walk between landmarks separated by known distances. A regression model was developed to describe the relationship between speed, age, and body weight. Speed negatively associated with age, a relationship enhanced by increased weight (P < 0.0005). For 16-kg animals, speed declined approximately 0.6 cm/s yearly. For each additional kilogram of weight, speed declined an additional 0.3 cm/s yearly. Baboon walking speed declines with age, an effect modulated by weight. Ease of measurement and strong age association make walking speed a valuable biomarker for aging research with this important experimental species.

Dynamic walking features and improved walking performance in multiple sclerosis patients treated with fampridine (4-aminopyridine)

BackgroundImpaired walking capacity is a frequent confinement in Multiple Sclerosis (MS). Patients are affected by limitations in coordination, walking speed and the distance they may cover. Also abnormal dynamic walking patterns have been reported, involving continuous deceleration over time. Fampridine (4-aminopyridine), a potassium channel blocker, may improve walking in MS. The objective of the current study was to comprehensively examine dynamic walking characteristics and improved walking capacity in MS patients treated with fampridine.MethodsA sample of N = 35 MS patients (EDSS median: 4) underwent an electronic walking examination prior to (Time 1), and during treatment with fampridine (Time 2). Patients walked back and forth a distance of 25 ft for a maximum period of 6 min (6-minute 25-foot-walk). Besides the total distance covered, average speed on the 25-foot distance and on turns was determined separately for each test minute, at Time 1 and Time 2.ResultsPrior to fampridine administration, 27/35 patients (77 %) were able to complete the entire 6 min of walking, while following the administration, 34/35 patients (97 %) managed to walk for 6 min. In this context, walking distance considerably increased and treatment was associated with faster walking and turning across all six test minutes (range of effect sizes: partial eta squared = .34-.72). Importantly, previously reported deceleration across test minutes was consistently observable at Time 1 and Time 2.DiscussionFampridine administration is associated with improved walking speed and endurance. Regardless of a treatment effect of fampridine, the previously identified, abnormal dynamic walking feature, i.e. the linear decline in walking speed, may represent a robust feature.ConclusionsThe dynamic walking feature might hence be considered as a candidate for a new outcome measure in clinical studies involving interventions other than symptomatic treatment, such as immune-modulating medication.Trial registrationDRKS00009228 (German Clinical Trials Register). Date obtained: 25.08.2015.

Association between walking ability and trunk and lower-limb muscle atrophy in institutionalized elderly women: a longitudinal pilot study.

BackgroundThe aim of this study was to investigate the association between walking ability and muscle atrophy in the trunk and lower limbs.MethodsSubjects in this longitudinal study were 21 elderly women who resided in nursing homes. The thicknesses of the following trunk and lower-limb muscles were measured using B-mode ultrasound: rectus abdominis, external oblique, internal oblique, transversus abdominis, erector spinae, lumbar multifidus, psoas major, gluteus maximus, gluteus medius, gluteus minimus, rectus femoris, vastus lateralis, vastus intermedius, biceps femoris, gastrocnemius, soleus, and tibialis anterior. Maximum walking speed was used to represent walking ability. Maximum walking speed and muscle thickness were assessed before and after a 12-month period.ResultsOf the 17 measured muscles of the trunk and lower limbs, age-related muscle atrophy in elderly women was greatest in the erector spinae, rectus femoris, vastus lateralis, vastus intermedius, and tibialis anterior muscles. Correlation coefficient analyses showed that only the rate of thinning of the vastus lateralis was significantly associated with the rate of decline in maximum walking speed (r = 0.518, p < 0.05).ConclusionsThis longitudinal study suggests that reduced walking ability may be associated with muscle atrophy in the trunk and lower limbs, especially in the vastus lateralis muscle, among frail elderly women.

Negative perceptions of aging and decline in walking speed: a self-fulfilling prophecy.

IntroductionWalking speed is a meaningful marker of physical function in the aging population. While it is a primarily physical measure, experimental studies have shown that merely priming older adults with negative stereotypes about aging results in immediate declines in objective walking speed. What is not clear is whether this is a temporary experimental effect or whether negative aging stereotypes have detrimental effects on long term objective health. We sought to explore the association between baseline negative perceptions of aging in the general population and objective walking speed 2 years later.Method4,803 participations were assessed over 2 waves of The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing (TILDA), a prospective, population representative study of adults aged 50+ in the Republic of Ireland. Wave 1 measures – which included the Aging Perceptions Questionnaire, walking speed and all covariates - were taken between 2009 and 2011. Wave 2 measures – which included a second measurement of walking speed and covariates - were collected 2 years later between March and December 2012. Walking speed was measured as the number of seconds to complete the Timed Up-And-Go (TUG) task. Participations with a history of stroke, Parkinson’s disease or an MMSE < 18 were excluded.ResultsAfter full adjustment for all covariates (age, gender, level of education, disability, chronic conditions, medications, global cognition and baseline TUG) negative perceptions of aging at baseline were associated with slower TUG speed 2 years later (B=.03, 95% CI = .01 to 05, p< .05).ConclusionsWalking speed has previously been considered to be a consequence of physical decline but these results highlight the direct role of psychological state in predicting an objective aging outcome. Negative perceptions about aging are a potentially modifiable risk factor of some elements of physical decline in aging.

Body mass index trajectories and functional decline in older adults: Three-City Dijon cohort study.

Obesity, whose prevalence is increasing, is associated with poor functional status at older ages. However, much of this evidence is cross-sectional with little known about longitudinal associations. We examined associations of body mass index (BMI), and change in BMI, with change in objective [walking speed (WS)] and self-reported (disability) measures of motor decline. Analyses included participants (65-85 years) from the Dijon center of the Three-City study (France) with up to five WS (N = 4007) and six disability assessments (N = 4478) over 11 years. Data were analyzed using regression models for repeated measures. Mean baseline WS was 153 cm/s. Compared to normal weight persons, obese participants at baseline walked slower and reported more disability; they also experienced 45% faster WS decline (-18.63 vs. -12.85 cm/s/10 years, P = 0.002). Participants who lost or gained weight had 47% (-18.85 cm/s/10 years, P < 0.001) and 33% (-17.08 cm/s/10 years, P = 0.002) respectively greater WS decline than participants in the normal BMI change category. 24% of participants reported disability at least once during the follow-up, those who lost or gained weight had a 1.63 and 1.34 respectively higher odds of disability than participants in the normal BMI change category (P = 0.001). Associations remained after adjustment for covariates. In conclusion, obesity is associated with worse motor performances, a higher risk of disability, and faster motor decline. Our results underline the interest of repeated BMI and motor assessments to identify those at higher risk of disability.

Advances in exercise, physical activity, and diabetes mellitus.

Advances in exercise, physical activity, and diabetes mellitus.

Gait characteristics associated with walking speed decline in older adults: Results from the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging

BackgroundUnderstanding the mechanisms that contribute to walking speed decline can provide needed insight for developing targeted interventions to reduce the rate and likelihood of decline. ObjectiveExamine the association between gait characteristics and walking speed decline in older adults. MethodsParticipants in the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging aged 60 to 89 were evaluated in the gait laboratory which used a three dimensional motion capture system and force platforms to assess cadence, stride length, stride width, percent of gait cycle in double stance, anterior–posterior mechanical work expenditure (MWE), and medial–lateral MWE. Usual walking speed was assessed over 6m at baseline and follow-up. Gait characteristics associated with meaningful decline (decline ≥0.05m/s/y) in walking speed were evaluated by logistic regression adjusted for age, sex, race, height, weight, initial walking speed and follow-up time. ResultsAmong 362 participants, the average age was 72.4 (SD=8.1) years, 51% were female, 27% were black and 23% were identified has having meaningful decline in usual walking speed with an average follow-up time of 3.2 (1.1) years. In the fully adjusted model, faster cadence [ORadj=0.65, 95% CI (0.43,0.97)] and longer strides [ORadj=0.87, 95% CI (0.83,0.91)] were associated with lower odds of decline. However age [ORadj=1.04, 95% CI (0.99,1.10)] was not associated with decline when controlling for gait characteristics and other demographics. ConclusionA sizable proportion of healthy older adults experienced walking speed decline over an average of 3 years. Longer stride and faster cadence were protective against meaningful decline in usual walking speed.

MOBILITY AND FUNCTIONAL OUTCOMES FOR SARCOPENIA TRIALS

Major mobility disability (MMD) (1, 2), defined as inability to walk ¼ mile or 400 m, is a relevant definite outcome in clinical trials. MMD is of major public health significance. Ability to walk ¼ mile is measured in the US census (3) and in most epidemiologic surveys (4). The MMD outcome based on the 400 m walk test is a feasible, objective, reliable (5), well-validated and important clinical and public health outcome in older people (1, 2, 6), which has been successfully implemented in the LIFE-Pilot and LIFE (7, 8). We have shown it to be a more efficient outcome for clinical trials than self-reported disability or the Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB) (9). Public health agencies use ability to walk ¼ mile or 400 m to define need and policy impact of interventions (4). Finally, people reporting the inability to walk 400 m incur higher health care costs of $4,000 per person per year, compared with those not reporting inability to walk 400 m (4, 6, 10-12) MMD is operationalized as the inability to complete a 400 m walk test within 15 min without sitting or help of another person or walker (2). Completing the walk in &gt;15 min would be in an extremely slow pace (&lt;0.45 m/sec), which is of little utility in daily life (13). A higher cut point (30 or 60 min), makes the assessment impractical and does not add to the clinical significance of the outcome. The time to walk 400 meters and the ability to complete the test will provide data to test effects of the interventions resulting from both attenuation of decline and increase in walking speed.

The clinical meaning of walking speed as measured by the timed 25-foot walk in patients with multiple sclerosis.

Walking impairment, a common clinical manifestation of multiple sclerosis (MS), is often measured in clinical practice and clinical trials using the Timed 25-Foot Walk (T25-FW). To evaluate the relationship between walking speed measured by the T25-FW and the Physical Component Summary (PCS) score of the 36-Item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36) to better understand the clinical meaning of T25-FW walking speed in MS. We retrospectively analyzed data from 3 clinical trials (Natalizumab Safety and Efficacy in Relapsing-Remitting Multiple Sclerosis [AFFIRM], Safety and Efficacy of Natalizumab in Combination With Interferon Beta-1a in Patients With Relapsing-Remitting Multiple Sclerosis [SENTINEL], and International MS Secondary Progressive Avonex Controlled Trial [IMPACT]) that included T25-FW and SF-36 scores as outcomes in patients with MS. Patients had secondary-progressive MS and an Expanded Disability Status Scale score of 3.5 to 6.5 or relapsing-remitting MS and an Expanded Disability Status Scale score of 0 to 5.0. We used Spearman rank correlation and Pearson product moment correlation (r ) and descriptive statistics to evaluate retrospectively the relationship between the SF-36 PCS score and T25-FW walking speed at baseline and the 2-year changes from baseline. Among all 2549 patients from the 3 trials, walking speed and SF-36 PCS score at baseline were significantly correlated (n = 2333; r = 0.48; P < .001). In placebo-treated patients at 2 years, the percentage of change from baseline in walking speed was significantly correlated with the change from baseline in SF-36 PCS score (r = 0.35; P < .001). Significant correlations between the change in SF-36 PCS scores and the percentage of change in walking speed at 2 years also were observed in groups receiving active treatment (r, 0.13-0.28; P ≤ .005). Among placebo-treated patients, 27.5% had a clinically meaningful worsening (≥ 5-point decrease) in SF-36 PCS scores during the 2 years. Walking speed declined by 21.8% in these patients after 2 years, but only by 5.4% in those without worsening of SF-36 PCS scores. In patients with MS, walking speed measured using the T25-FW correlated with SF-36 PCS scores such that a decline in walking speed of 20% to 25% corresponded to a clinically meaningful worsening of SF-36 PCS scores. A 20% to 25% decline in walking speed may be a clinically meaningful threshold for defining worsening using the T25-FW in MS clinical trials and for monitoring patients in clinical settings.

Prevalence, incidence, and clinical impact of sarcopenia: facts, numbers, and epidemiology-update 2014.

Sarcopenia is now defined as a decline in walking speed or grip strength associated with low muscle mass. Sarcopenia leads to loss of mobility and function, falls, and mortality. Sarcopenia is a major cause of frailty, but either condition can occur without the other being present. Sarcopenia is present in about 5 to 10 % of persons over 65 years of age. It has multiple causes including disease, decreased caloric intake, poor blood flow to muscle, mitochondrial dysfunction, a decline in anabolic hormones, and an increase in proinflammatory cytokines. Basic therapy includes resistance exercise and protein and vitamin D supplementation. There is now a simple screening test available for sarcopenia—SARC-F. All persons 60 years and older should be screened for sarcopenia and treated when appropriate.

The dynamic relationship between cognitive function and walking speed: the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing.

Cross-sectional studies show that older people with better cognition tend to walk faster. Whether this association reflects an influence of fluid cognition upon walking speed, vice versa, a bidirectional relationship or the effect of common causes is unclear. We used linear mixed effects models to examine the dynamic relationship between usual walking speed and fluid cognition, as measured by executive function, verbal memory and processing speed, in 2,654 men and women aged 60 to over 90 years from the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing. There was a bidirectional relationship between walking speed and fluid cognition. After adjusting for age and sex, better performance on executive function, memory and processing speed was associated with less yearly decline in walking speed over the 6-year follow-up period; faster walking speed was associated with less yearly decline in each cognitive domain; and less yearly decline in each cognitive domain was associated with less yearly decline in walking speed. Effect sizes were small. After further adjustment for other covariates, effect sizes were attenuated but most remained statistically significant. We found some evidence that walking speed and the fluid cognitive domains of executive function and processing speed may change in parallel with increasing age. Investigation of the association between walking speed and cognition earlier in life is needed to better understand the origins of this relation and inform the development and timing of interventions.

Physical fitness is predictive for a decline in daily functioning in older adults with intellectual disabilities: results of the HA-ID study.

A high incidence of limitations in daily functioning is seen in older adults with intellectual disabilities (ID), along with poor physical fitness levels. The aim of this study was to assess the predictive value of physical fitness for daily functioning after 3 years, in 602 older adults with borderline to profound ID (≥ 50 years). At baseline, physical fitness levels and daily functioning (operationalized as basic activities of daily living [ADL] and mobility) were assessed. After 3 years, the measurements of daily functioning were repeated. At follow-up, 12.6% of the participants were completely independent in ADL and 48.5% had no mobility limitations. More than half of the participants (54.8%) declined in their ability to perform ADL and 37.5% declined in their mobility. Manual dexterity, visual reaction time, balance, comfortable and fast gait speed, muscular endurance, and cardiorespiratory fitness were significant predictors for a decline in ADL. For a decline in mobility, manual dexterity, balance, comfortable and fast walking speed, grip strength, muscular endurance, and cardiorespiratory fitness were all significant predictors. This proves the predictive validity of these physical fitness tests for daily functioning and stresses the importance of using physical fitness tests and implementing physical fitness enhancing programs in the care for older adults with ID.

Walking Speed, Processing Speed, and Dementia: A Population-Based Longitudinal Study

Slow walking speed has been shown to predict dementia. We investigated the relation of walking speed, processing speed, and their changes over time to dementia among older adults. This study included 2,938 participants (age 60+ years) in the population-based Swedish National study on Aging and Care in Kungsholmen, Sweden, who were free from dementia and severe walking impairment at baseline. Walking speed was assessed with participants walking at their usual pace and processing speed was defined by a composite measure of standard tests (digit cancellation, trail making test-A, pattern comparison). Dementia at 3- and 6-year follow-ups was diagnosed according to Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-IV criteria. Of the 2,232 participants who were reassessed at least once, 226 developed dementia. Logistic regression models showed that each standard deviation slower baseline walking speed or decline in walking speed over time increased the likelihood of incident dementia (odds ratios 1.61, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.31-1.98; and 2.58, 95% CI 2.12-3.14, respectively). Adjustment for processing speed attenuated these associations (odds ratios 1.26, 95% CI 1.01-1.58 and 1.76, 95% CI 1.33-2.34). Mixed-effects models revealed statistical interactions of time with dementia on change in walking and processing speed, such that those who developed dementia showed accelerated decline. At baseline, poorer performance in processing speed, but not in walking speed, was observed for persons who developed dementia during the study period. Processing speed may play an important role for the association between walking speed and dementia. The slowing of walking speed appears to occur secondary to slowing of processing speed in the path leading to dementia.

Lipid-Lowering Drugs Associated With Slower Motor Decline in the Elderly Adults

Vascular risk factors contribute to motor decline in the elderly persons. We investigated the relationship between lipid-lowering drugs (LLDs) use and decline in walking speed (WS) in older adults. Data on 4,009 community-dwelling men and women, aged ≥65 years at baseline, are drawn from the Dijon (France) center of the Three-City study. "Fast" WS was assessed over 6 m at baseline and at 4, 6, 8, and 10 years of follow-up. Mixed linear models were used to determine the relationship between LLDs and change in WS over the follow-up. At baseline, 1,295 (32%) participants used LLDs (statins, n = 643; fibrates, n = 652); mean fast WS was 152.9cm/s and not significantly different between LLDs users and nonusers. In models adjusted for age, sex, cholesterol level, and other covariates, WS decline was 25% slower in LLDs users (difference with nonusers: 0.58cm/s/y, 95% CI: 0.30, 0.86; p < .001). Both fibrates and statins were associated with slower decline, but only the effect of statins was robust in analyses that took missing values into account. The beneficial effect was more pronounced in those on LLDs continuously over the follow-up. Fast WS declined less in those on LLDs, suggesting that the effect of LLDs, statins in particular, extend beyond that on cardiovascular disease in the elderly persons. However, these effects were modest and their clinical relevance is unclear.

Change in Fast Walking Speed Preceding Death: Results From a Prospective Longitudinal Cohort Study

Walking speed (WS) predicts mortality. However, it is unclear if decline in WS increases prior to death. We examined whether (a) WS declined faster in persons who died during the follow-up compared with those who remained alive and (b) adding change in WS to a model including age, sex, and baseline WS improved prediction of mortality. Data are from 4,016 participants of the Dijon center of the Three-City study (France), aged 65-85 years. Fast WS (FWS) was measured up to five times over a 12-year period. Mortality was ascertained until 2012. Linear mixed models using a backward time scale showed that FWS declined faster in 908 participants who died during the follow-up (annual change = -0.031 m/s) than in those who survived (-0.021 m/s), corresponding to a difference of -0.009 (95% confidence interval = -0.013 to -0.005) m/s. Compared with "normal" change in FWS (annual change ≥-0.04 m/s), "substantial" decline (<-0.08 m/s) was associated with a 1.4-fold greater risk of mortality (hazards ratio = 1.40, confidence interval = 1.02-1.92) and small decline (-0.08 to -0.04 m/s) with a 1.2-fold greater risk (hazards ratio = 1.18, confidence interval = 0.89-1.57). The net reclassification index when adding these categories of change in FWS to the model adjusted for age, sex, and baseline FWS was 19.0% (0.6, 36.8%). Participants who died during the follow-up had a steeper decline in FWS than the others. Both baseline FWS and FWS decline predict mortality.

Relationship Between Wealth and Age Trajectories of Walking Speed Among Older Adults: Evidence From the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing

Slow walking speed is associated with higher risk of accidents, disability, and mortality in older adults, with people in more disadvantaged socioeconomic positions being at higher risk. We explore the relationship between wealth and age trajectories of walking speed among older adults. Data come from three waves (2002-2003 to 2006-2007) of the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing. We use latent growth curve models and aging-vector graphs to explore individual changes and average population age trajectories of walking speed by wealth among 7,225 individuals aged 60 and older. For someone aged 71 in the poorest wealth quintile, the baseline mean walking speed was 0.75 m/s, which decreased to 0.71 m/s 4 years later, whereas that of a person in the richest wealth quintile was 0.91 m/s, which decreased to 0.82 m/s. Although the decline in walking speed was faster among people in the richest wealth (net of covariates), the gaps in walking speed between richest and poorest did not close. Even after accounting for covariates, people in the richest wealth only reached critical values (0.60 m/s) of walking speed at the age of 90, whereas people in the poorest wealth reached that level 6 years earlier. Our findings showed continuing gaps in physical functioning by wealth, even among people with the same health, psychosocial, and demographic conditions. As wealth reflects both past and current socioeconomic status, the implications of our findings are that reducing socioeconomic inequalities at all stages of the life course may have a positive impact on functioning in old age.