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Physical Inactivity Predicts Slow Gait Speed in an Elderly Multi-Ethnic Cohort Study: The Northern Manhattan Study
Joshua Z Willey1, Yeseon P Moon, Erin R Kulick
1Department of Neurology, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA.
Introduction:
Gait speed is associated with multiple adverse outcomes of aging. We hypothesized that physical inactivity would be prospectively inversely associated with gait speed independently of white matter hyperintensity volume and silent brain infarcts on MRI.
Methods:
Participants in the Northern Manhattan Study MRI sub-study had physical activity assessed when they were enrolled into the study. A mean of 5 years after the MRI, participants had gait speed measured via a timed 5-meter walk test. Physical inactivity was defined as reporting no leisure-time physical activity. Multi-variable logistic and quantile regression was performed to examine the associations between physical inactivity and future gait speed adjusted for confounders.
Results:
Among 711 participants with MRI and gait speed measures (62% women, 71% Hispanic, mean age 74.1 ± 8.4), the mean gait speed was 1.02 ± 0.26 m/s. Physical inactivity was associated with a greater odds of gait speed in the lowest quartile (<0.85 m/s, adjusted OR 1.90, 95% CI 1.17-3.08), and in quantile regression with 0.06 m/s slower gait speed at the lowest 20 percentile (p = 0.005).
Conclusions:
Physical inactivity is associated with slower gait speed independently of osteoarthritis, grip strength, and subclinical ischemic brain injury. Modifying sedentary behavior poses a target for interventions aimed at reducing decline in mobility.
Insights
Physical inactivity is linked to slower walking speed in older adults, even after accounting for brain changes and other health factors. Reducing sedentary behavior may help maintain mobility as people age.
Area of Science:
- Gerontology
- Neurology
- Public Health
Background:
- Gait speed is a critical indicator of aging and linked to adverse health outcomes.
- Subclinical brain changes like white matter hyperintensities and silent infarcts may influence mobility.
- The relationship between physical activity and gait speed requires further investigation, particularly independent of brain pathology.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the prospective association between physical inactivity and gait speed.
- To determine if this association persists independently of subclinical ischemic brain injury on MRI.
- To explore the role of sedentary behavior in age-related mobility decline.
Main Methods:
- Utilized data from the Northern Manhattan Study MRI sub-study.
- Assessed physical activity at baseline and gait speed (5-meter walk test) approximately 5 years later.
- Employed multivariable logistic and quantile regression, adjusting for relevant confounders.
Main Results:
- Physical inactivity was significantly associated with a higher likelihood of having slower gait speed (lowest quartile).
- Quantile regression revealed that physical inactivity predicted slower gait speed at the 20th percentile.
- The association remained significant even after adjusting for factors like osteoarthritis, grip strength, and brain infarcts.
Conclusions:
- Physical inactivity is an independent predictor of slower gait speed in older adults.
- Sedentary behavior is a modifiable risk factor for age-related mobility decline.
- Interventions targeting sedentary behavior may be effective in preserving gait speed and overall mobility.
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