According to a new study published in the journal Stroke, slow walking pace is significantly associated with a higher risk for stroke among older individuals.
A prospective population-based study analysed the data on 363,137 participants identified from the UK Biobank to determine the associations between self-reported walking pace and incidence of stroke.
Slow walking pace was associated with an increased stroke incidence (HR, 1.45; P<.0001) compared with average walking pace. The association was significant in individuals aged ≥65 years (HR, 1.42; P<.0001), but not in those aged <65 years. The association remained significant after multivariate adjustment for known risk factors of stroke, variables associated with walking speed, other parameters of physical function and socioeconomic and behavioural factors.
The authors conclude: "The addition of the measurement of self-reported walking pace to primary care or public health clinical consultations may be a useful screening for risk of stroke among people of younger and middle age." They call for additional randomized controlled trials to determine if the study findings reflect a causal association.
