Potentially modifiable risk factors for slow gait in community-dwelling older adults: A systematic review.

Ageing Res Rev

Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, The University of Western Ontario, Kresge Building, Room K201, London, ON, N6A 5C1, Canada; Gait and Brain Laboratory, Parkwood Institute, Lawson Health Research Institute, London, ON, Canada; Division of Geriatric Medicine, Department of Medicine, Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, The University of Western Ontario, London, ON, N6C 0A7, Canada. Electronic address:

Published: March 2021

Purpose: Slow gait speed in older adults is associated with increased risk for falls and fractures, functional dependence, multimorbidity, and even mortality. The risk of these adverse outcomes can be reduced by intervening on potentially modifiable risk factors. The purpose of this systematic review was to identify potentially modifiable risk factors associated with slow gait speed and clinically meaningful gait speed decline in older community-dwelling adults.

Methods: Literature searches were conducted in MEDLINE, EMBASE, and CINAHL, Google Scholar, and in the bibliographies of retrieved articles.

Results: Forty studies met the inclusion criteria for qualitative review. Study designs were cross-sectional and longitudinal. Operational definitions of 'slow gait' and 'meaningful gait speed decline' were variable and based on sample distributions (e.g. quartiles), external criteria (e.g. < 0.8 m/s), and dynamic changes over time (e.g. ≥ 0.05 m/s decline per year). Twenty-six potentially modifiable risk factors were assessed in at least two studies. The risk factors most commonly investigated and that showed significant associations with slow gait and/or meaningful gait speed decline include physical activity, education, body mass index-obesity, pain, and depression/depressive symptoms.

Conclusion: Our results suggest that there are modifiable targets to maintain gait speed that are amenable to potential treatment.

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http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.arr.2020.101253DOI Listing

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