Walking speed and the risk of stroke
Slow walking speed is a strong predictor of increased risk of incident ischemic stroke among postmenopausal women, according to researchers at Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York City.
First, the details.
- 13,048 postmenopausal women (average 65 years) free of stroke at the start were studied.
- Potentially confounding factors were used to screen those who had a subsequent stroke.
And, the results.
- 264 of the original group eventually had an ischemic (due to blood clot) stroke.
- Those in the slowest walking group had a significant risk of stroke vs the fastest walking group.
- Slower walking speed was a significant predictor of ischemic stroke even after adjusting for confounding factors.
- Additional adjustment for physical function variables (grip strength and chair stands) did not change the association.
The bottom line?
Abe Gubegna, Ethiopian novelist tells us…
“Every day in Africa a gazelle wakes up.
It knows it must run faster than the fastest lion or it will be killed.
Every morning a lion wakes up. It knows that it must outrun the slowest gazelle or it will starve to death.
It doesn’t matter whether you are a lion or a gazelle.
When the sun comes up, you better be running.”
6/9/08 21:59 JR