TOPLINE:
Physical performance significantly correlates with increased survival rates in individuals aged over 80 years.
METHODOLOGY:
- Researchers analyzed data from 195 participants in the ilSIRENTE study, a prospective cohort study in L’Aquila, Italy, that included men and women born before 1924. The analysis focused on participants aged < 85 years at the time of enrollment (mean age, 82 years).
- Physical performance was assessed via the Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB), which tests balance, gait speed, and leg strength based on the ability to stand from a seated position in a chair.
- Based on SPPB scores, participants were classified as having severe, moderate, mild, or no functional impairment.
TAKEAWAY:
- About 21% of the participants lived to 95 years of age.
- Higher scores on the SPPB and faster gait speed were linked to a lower risk for mortality before that age.
- The average gait speed was 0.88 m/s among participants who lived to 95 years of age and 0.78 m/s for those who died at younger ages.
IN PRACTICE:
“Physical performance is ... a reliable metric for assessing mortality risk in octogenarians,” the authors of the study wrote. “Our findings, together with available evidence, support the view that physical performance is a primary target for interventions to enhance longevity and extend health span.”
SOURCE:
Stefano Cacciatore, MD, with Universita Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, in Rome, was the corresponding author on the paper. The study was published online on May 2, 2024, in Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.
This article was created using several editorial tools, including AI, as part of the process. Human editors reviewed this content before publication. A version of this article appeared on Medscape.com.