High cardiovascular health scores were associated with 84% lower odds of self-reported walking difficulty compared to low scores (OR 0.16; 95% CI 0.10-0.24).
Cross-Sectional (n=4,141)
Does better cardiovascular health (8F-CVH score) reduce self-reported walking difficulty in community-dwelling middle-aged and older adults?
Better cardiovascular health, as measured by an 8-factor score, is independently associated with significantly lower odds of self-reported walking difficulty in middle-aged and older adults.
Effect estimate: OR 0.16 (95% CI 0.10-0.24)
Absolute Event Rate: 4.8% vs 32.8%
p-value: p=<0.001
OBJECTIVES: To examine the association between cardiovascular health, assessed through an 8-factor cardiovascular health (8F-CVH) score, and self-reported walking difficulty in middle-aged (40-64 years) and older adults (≥65 years) living in the community. STUDY DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Self-reported walking difficulty was evaluated by a single-item question: "Do you have any difficulty in walking 400 meters?". Cardiovascular health was assessed using a composite 8F-CVH score inspired by Life's Essential 8, including diet, physical activity, body mass index, blood pressure, total cholesterol, fasting blood glucose, smoking status, and sleep quality. RESULTS: Among 4141 participants (mean age 60.5 ± 11.2 years; 53.1 % women), 16.0 % reported walking difficulty. Prevalence was higher in older adults (25.0 %) than in middle-aged individuals (11.0 %; p for trend <0.001). Self-reported walking difficulty was more frequent in participants with low 8F-CVH scores (32.8 %), compared to moderate (15.5 %) and high (4.8 %) scores (p <0.001). ROC curve analysis showed modest discrimination for the total score (area under the curve AUC 0.67; 95 % confidence interval CI 0.65-0.69), with physical activity performing best among individual components (AUC 0.69; 95 % CI 0.67-0.71). After adjusting for confounders, moderate and high scores were associated with 61 % (OR 0.39, 95 % CI 0.31-0.48) and 84 % (OR 0.16, 95 % CI 0.10-0.24) lower odds of self-reported walking difficulty, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Better cardiovascular health is independently associated with lower odds of self-reported walking difficulty. Promoting cardiovascular health may help preserve mobility in late life.
Cacciatore et al. (Tue,) conducted a cross-sectional in Community-dwelling middle-aged and older adults (n=4,141). High 8-factor cardiovascular health (8F-CVH) score vs. Low 8F-CVH score was evaluated on Self-reported walking difficulty (difficulty in walking 400 meters) (OR 0.16, 95% CI 0.10-0.24, p=<0.001). High cardiovascular health scores were associated with 84% lower odds of self-reported walking difficulty compared to low scores (OR 0.16; 95% CI 0.10-0.24).