Journal article
Characteristics of Nondisabled Older Persons Who Perform Poorly in Objective Tests of Lower Extremity Function
Journal of the American Geriatrics Society (JAGS), Vol.48(9), pp.1102-1110
09/2000
DOI: 10.1111/j.1532-5415.2000.tb04787.x
PMID: 10983911
Abstract
OBJECTIVES: It has been suggested that nondisabled older persons with poor performance of lower extremity function are ideal targets for interventions of disability prevention. However, health-related factors associated with poor performance are largely unknown. Using data from a representative sample of nondisabled older persons, this study identifies the diseases and biological markers that characterize this group of the population. DESIGN AND PARTICIPANTS: A total of 3381 persons aged 71 or older, interviewed and administered a battery of physical performance tests at the sixth annual follow-up of the Established Populations for Epidemiologic Studies of the Elderly (EPESE), who reported no need for help in walking 1/4 mile or climbing stairs. MEASUREMENTS: Lower extremity performance was measured using a short battery of tests including assessment of standing balance, a timed 2.4-m walk, and timed test of rising 5 times from a chair. Chronic conditions were ascertained as self-report of a physician diagnosis. Data on previous hospitalizations were obtained from the Medicare data-base. Nonfasting blood samples were obtained and processed with standard methods. RESULTS: In a multivariate analysis, older age, female gender, higher BMI, history of hip fracture and diabetes, one or more hospital admissions for acute infection in the last 3 years, lower levels of hemoglobin and albumin, and higher leukocytes and γ-glutamyl transferase were all associated independently with poor performance. CONCLUSIONS: Screening for older patients who are not disabled but have poor lower extremity performance selects a subgroup of the population with a high percentage of women, high prevalence of diabetes and hip fracture, and high levels of biological markers of inflammation. This group represents about 10% of the US population 70 to 90 years old. These findings should be considered in planning specifically tailored interventions for disability prevention in this subgroup.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- Characteristics of Nondisabled Older Persons Who Perform Poorly in Objective Tests of Lower Extremity Function
- Creators
- Luigi Ferrucci - Florence (Netherlands)Brenda W. J. H. Penninx - Vrije Universiteit AmsterdamSuzanne G. Leveille - National Institutes of HealthMaria-Chiara Corti - National Institutes of HealthMarco Pahor - Wake Forest UniversityRobert Wallace - University of IowaTamara B. Harris - National Institutes of HealthRichard J. Havlik - Florence (Netherlands)Jack M Guralnik - Epidemiology, Demography and Biometry Program, NIA, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publication Details
- Journal of the American Geriatrics Society (JAGS), Vol.48(9), pp.1102-1110
- DOI
- 10.1111/j.1532-5415.2000.tb04787.x
- PMID
- 10983911
- NLM abbreviation
- J Am Geriatr Soc
- ISSN
- 0002-8614
- eISSN
- 1532-5415
- Publisher
- Blackwell Publishing Ltd
- Number of pages
- 9
- Language
- English
- Date published
- 09/2000
- Academic Unit
- Epidemiology; Injury Prevention Research Center; Internal Medicine
- Record Identifier
- 9984363662302771
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