Long-Term Aspirin Use and Self-Reported Walking Speed in Older Men: The Physicians' Health Study

Mobility limitation is a component of frailty that shares a bidirectional relationship with cardiovascular disease (CVD). Data are limited on the role of established CVD prevention therapies, such as aspirin, for prevention of frailty and mobility limitation.

Examine the association between long-term aspirin use and walking speed.

Prospective cohort of 14,315 men who participated in the Physicians' Health Study I, a completed randomized controlled trial of aspirin (1982-1988), with extended post-trial follow-up.

Annual questionnaires collected data on aspirin use, lifestyle and other factors. Average annual aspirin use was categorized for each participant: ≤60 days/year and >60 days/year. Mobility was defined according to self-reported walking pace, categorized as: don't walk regularly (reference), easy/casual <2mph, normal ≥2-2.9mph, or brisk/very brisk ≥3mph. Propensity scoring balanced covariates between aspirin categories. Multinomial logistic regression models estimated odds of being in each self-reported walking category.

Mean age was 70±8 years; mean aspirin use 11 years. There were 2,056 (14.3%) participants who reported aspirin use ≤60 days/year. Aspirin use >60 days/year was associated with drinking alcohol, smoking, hypertension, heart disease and stroke, while ≤60 days/year was associated with anticoagulation use and bleeding history. In all, 13% reported not walking regularly, 12% walked <2 mph, 44% walked ≥2-2.9 mph, and 31% walked ≥3 mph. After propensity score adjustment, regular aspirin use was associated with a faster walking speed. Odds ratios (95% confidence intervals) were 1.16 (0.97 to 1.39), 1.24 (1.08 to 1.43), and 1.40 (1.21 to 1.63) for <2 mph, ≥2-2.9 mph and ≥3 mph, respectively, compared to not walking regularly (p-trend<0.001).

In this cohort of older men, long-term aspirin use is associated with a greater probability of faster walking speed later in life.