Gait speed assessment as a prognostic tool for morbidity and mortality in vulnerable older adult patients following vascular surgery.

Introduction: Predicting the risk associated with vascular surgery in older adult patients has become increasingly challenging, primarily due to limitations in existing risk assessment tools. This study aimed to evaluate the utility of gait speed, a clinical indicator of frailty, in enhancing the prediction of mortality and morbidity in older adult patients undergoing vascular surgery.

Methods: A single-center prospective cohort study was conducted, involving older adult patients undergoing vascular surgery at four tertiary care hospitals between 2021 and 2022.