Gait speed at the acute phase predicted health-related quality of life at 3 and 12 months after stroke: a prospective cohort study.
Yishuang Zhao, Xiaoling Liao, Hongqiu Gu and 4 others
PMID 38616713WHAT IT FOUND
Stroke survivors who walked faster in the acute phase reported better health-related quality of life at 3 and 12 months.
Those in the fastest group had significantly higher quality-of-life scores and fewer problems with mobility, self-care, and daily activities than those in the slowest group.
Key findings
01Patients in the highest gait speed tertile had significantly higher EQ-5D-3L index scores and EQ-VAS scores at both 3 and 12 months compared to the lowest tertile, even after adjusting for multiple confounders.
02Faster acute-phase gait speed was associated with significantly lower odds of problems in mobility, self-care, and usual activities at 3 months, and mobility, self-care, usual activities, and pain/discomfort at 12 months.
03There was no significant association between gait speed groups and anxiety/depression problems at either 3 or 12 months after adjusting for confounding factors.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTs
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What it does not show
The study only included patients able to complete the 10-Meter Walk Test, meaning results apply primarily to those with mild stroke (low NIHSS scores) and may not generalize to more severely impaired survivors. The study did not track changes in gait speed during rehabilitation, so it cannot determine if improving gait speed leads to better quality of life. The EQ-5D-3L is a generic measure with only three levels per dimension, which may miss subtle differences in quality of life compared to more sensitive, stroke-specific tools.
Declared interests
The authors declared no conflicts of interest. The work was supported by grants from the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, the National Natural Science Foundation of China, and the Capital’s Funds for Health Improvement and Research.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume that improving gait speed will automatically improve health-related quality of life. This study shows an association, not causation, and did not measure the effect of interventions aimed at increasing walking speed.