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Co-impairments as predictors of severe walking disability in older women
Author(s)Taina Rantanen, Jack M Guralnik, Luigi Ferrucci
Journal titleJournal of the American Geriatrics Society, vol 49, no 1, January 2001
Pagespp 21-27
KeywordsOlder women ; Physical disabilities ; Gait loss ; Longitudinal surveys ; United States of America.
AnnotationSevere walking disability, for the purposes of this article, is defined as customary walking speed of <0.4 metres/second and an inability to walk a quarter of a mile, or being unable to walk. It is not known whether the presence of multiple impairments, or co-impairments, is associated with increased risk of developing new disability. 758 women from the US Women's Health and Aging Study (WHAS) who were not severely walking disabled at baseline participated in this 3-study. Over the course of the study, 173 (22.8%) became severely disabled in walking. The presence of co-impairments was found to be a powerful predictor of new, severe, walking disability, an underlying cause of dependence in older people. Substantial reduction in the risk of walking disability could be achieved, even if interventions were successful in correcting only one of the impairments, because a deficit in only one physiological system may be compensated for by good capacity in another system. (RH).
Accession NumberCPA-020115202 A
ClassmarkBD: BN: C8G: 3J: 7T

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