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Association Between Walking Pace and Stroke Incidence: Findings From the UK Biobank Prospective Cohort Study
Sara Hayes1, John F Forbes2, Carlos Celis-Morales3,4
1From the School of Allied Health, Ageing Research Centre (S.H.), Health Research Institute, University of Limerick, Ireland.
Insights
Slow walking pace is linked to increased stroke risk, particularly in individuals over 64. This finding suggests walking pace could be a valuable tool for identifying those at higher risk of stroke.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Epidemiology
- Public Health
Background:
- Stroke incidence is rising in younger and middle-aged populations.
- Current stroke prevention strategies are not tailored to this demographic.
- Associations between lifestyle factors and stroke in this group are not well understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between self-reported walking pace and incident stroke.
- To determine if walking pace can serve as a predictor for stroke risk.
- To identify specific demographic or socioeconomic factors that modify this association.
Main Methods:
- Utilized data from the UK Biobank, a prospective population-based cohort.
- Included 363,137 participants aged 37-73 years.
- Employed Cox proportional-hazard models to analyze associations between walking pace and stroke incidence over a mean follow-up of 6.1 years.
Main Results:
- A total of 2705 stroke events occurred during follow-up.
- Slow walking pace was significantly associated with a higher hazard for stroke incidence (HR, 1.45).
- This association was pronounced in participants aged ≥65 years (HR, 1.42) and those with higher deprivation levels and obesity.
Conclusions:
- Slow walking pace is a significant risk factor for stroke, especially in older adults (≥65 years).
- Factors like socioeconomic deprivation and obesity exacerbate stroke risk in conjunction with slow walking pace.
- Self-reported walking pace may serve as a practical screening tool in clinical settings to identify individuals at elevated stroke risk.
Abstract:
Background and Purpose- Stroke incidence in younger and middle-aged people is growing. Despite this, its associations in this subset of the stroke population are unknown, and prevention strategies are not tailored to meet their needs. This study examined the association between self-reported walking pace and incident stroke. Methods- Data from the UK Biobank were used in a prospective population-based study. Three hundred and sixty-three thousand, one hundred and thirty-seven participants aged 37 to 73 years (52% women) were recruited. The associations of self-reported walking pace with stroke incidence over follow-up were investigated using Cox proportional-hazard models. Results- Among 363,137 participants, 2705 (0.7%) participants developed a fatal or nonfatal stroke event over the mean follow-up period of 6.1 years (interquartile range, 5.4-6.7). Slow walking pace was associated with a higher hazard for stroke incidence (hazard ratio [HR], 1.45 [95% CI, 1.26-1.66]; P<0.0001). Stroke incidence was not associated with walking pace among people <65 years of age. However, slow walking pace was associated with a higher risk of stroke among participants aged ≥65 years (HR, 1.42 [95% CI, 1.17-1.72]; P<0.0001). A higher risk for stroke was observed on those with middle (HR, 1.28 [95% CI, 1.01-1.63]; P=0.039) and higher (HR, 1.29 [95% CI, 1.05-1.69]; P=0.012) deprivation levels but not in the least deprived individuals. Similarly, overweight (HR, 1.30 [95% CI, 1.04-1.63]; P=0.019) and obese (HR, 1.33 [95% CI, 1.09-1.63]; P=0.004) but not normal-weight individuals had a higher risk of stroke incidence. Conclusions- Slow walking pace was associated with a higher risk of stroke among participants over 64 years of age in this population-based cohort study. The addition of the measurement of self-reported walking pace to primary care or public health clinical consultations may be a useful screening tool for stroke risk.
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