TY - JOUR
T1 - Characteristics of nondisabled older persons who perform poorly in objective tests of lower extremity function
AU - Ferrucci, Luigi
AU - Penninx, Brenda W.J.H.
AU - Leveille, Suzanne G.
AU - Corti, Maria Chiara
AU - Pahor, Marco
AU - Wallace, Robert
AU - Harris, Tamara B.
AU - Havlik, Richard J.
AU - Guralnik, Jack M.
PY - 2000/1/1
Y1 - 2000/1/1
N2 - 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.
AB - 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.
KW - Aging
KW - Disability
KW - Lower extremity
KW - Physical performance
KW - Prevention of disability
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0033850684&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1111/j.1532-5415.2000.tb04787.x
DO - 10.1111/j.1532-5415.2000.tb04787.x
M3 - Article
C2 - 10983911
AN - SCOPUS:0033850684
VL - 48
SP - 1102
EP - 1110
JO - Journal of the American Geriatrics Society
JF - Journal of the American Geriatrics Society
SN - 0002-8614
IS - 9
ER -