The Importance of Racially and Ethnically Inclusive Gait Speed Reference Values in Individuals 90 Years and Older: LifeAfter90.
Katherine A Colcord, Paola Gilsanz, Kristen M George and 4 others
PMID 39159436WHAT IT FOUND
Gait speeds in people over 90 were substantially slower than in those under 90, with a mean of 0.54 m/s.
Using standard cut points like 1 m/s to flag risk is not useful in this group, as almost no one walks that fast.
Key findings
01The overall mean gait speed for participants aged 90 and older was 0.54 m/s, which is substantially slower than values reported for those aged 80 to 89.
02Gait speed slowed significantly with age, with men aged 90 to 91 walking faster than men aged 94 and older, and women showing a similar decline.
03While Black participants initially showed slower gait speeds than Asian and White participants, these differences were largely explained by cognitive status and chronic health conditions.
STILL TO COME
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What it does not show
317 participants were excluded because they could not complete a valid 4MWT, often due to being unable or unsafe to walk unassisted. This exclusion may have led to an overestimation of gait speed in the remaining sample, as the most impaired individuals were left out. The study did not have data on height for all participants, so it could not determine if the sex differences in gait speed were due to leg length rather than sex itself. Chronic condition data were incomplete for some participants, which limited the ability to fully adjust for health disparities when analyzing racial and ethnic differences. The 4MWT provides limited information about gait mechanics compared to electronic walkways, though it was chosen for its feasibility in home settings.
Declared interests
The authors declare no conflicts of interest. The study was supported by the National Institutes of Health.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume that slower gait speeds in Black or Hispanic participants are due to race itself. The study found that these differences were largely explained by variations in cognitive status and chronic health conditions, suggesting that health disparities, not intrinsic biological factors, drive the observed speed differences.