Sharon W Renner1, Yujia Qiao1, Theresa Gmelin1, Adam J Santanasto1, Robert M Boudreau1, Jeremy D Walston2, Thomas T Perls3, Kaare Christensen4, Anne B Newman1, Nancy W Glynn5. 1. Graduate School of Public Health, Department of Epidemiology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, 15261, USA. 2. Division of Geriatrics and Gerontology, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA. 3. Department of Medicine, Geriatrics Section, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA. 4. Department of Public Health, Unit of Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Biodemography, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark. 5. Graduate School of Public Health, Department of Epidemiology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, 15261, USA. epidnwg@pitt.edu.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Fatigue, inflammation, and physical activity (PA) are all independently associated with gait speed, but their directionality is not fully elucidated. AIMS: Evaluate the bidirectional associations amongst fatigue, inflammation, and PA on gait speed. METHODS: This cross sectional study included probands (n = 1280, aged 49-105) and offspring (n = 2772, aged 24-88) in the Long Life Family Study. We assessed gait speed, fatigue with the question "I could not get going", inflammation using fasting interleukin-6 (IL-6) and high sensitivity C-reactive protein (CRP), and self-reported PA as walking frequency in the past two weeks. The two generations were examined separately using linear mixed modeling. RESULTS: Lower fatigue, lower IL-6, and greater PA were all associated with faster gait speed in both generations (all p < 0.05); lower CRP was only associated with faster gait speed in the offspring. PA explained the association of fatigue and gait speed via a 16.1% (95% CI 9.7%, 26.7%) attenuation of the direct associations for the probands and 9.9% (95% CI 6.3%, 18.8%) in the offspring. In addition, IL-6 explained more of the association of fatigue and gait speed than the association between PA and gait speed, via a 14.9% (95% CI 9.2%, 23.4%) attenuation of the direct association in the offspring only. DISCUSSION: Results revealed a potential directionality from fatigue to IL-6 to PA that may lead to faster gait speed. Future work should examine these relationships longitudinally to establish temporality and causality. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings support a signal that lowering fatigue and inflammation and increasing physical activity may delay functional decline.
BACKGROUND: Fatigue, inflammation, and physical activity (PA) are all independently associated with gait speed, but their directionality is not fully elucidated. AIMS: Evaluate the bidirectional associations amongst fatigue, inflammation, and PA on gait speed. METHODS: This cross sectional study included probands (n = 1280, aged 49-105) and offspring (n = 2772, aged 24-88) in the Long Life Family Study. We assessed gait speed, fatigue with the question "I could not get going", inflammation using fasting interleukin-6 (IL-6) and high sensitivity C-reactive protein (CRP), and self-reported PA as walking frequency in the past two weeks. The two generations were examined separately using linear mixed modeling. RESULTS: Lower fatigue, lower IL-6, and greater PA were all associated with faster gait speed in both generations (all p < 0.05); lower CRP was only associated with faster gait speed in the offspring. PA explained the association of fatigue and gait speed via a 16.1% (95% CI 9.7%, 26.7%) attenuation of the direct associations for the probands and 9.9% (95% CI 6.3%, 18.8%) in the offspring. In addition, IL-6 explained more of the association of fatigue and gait speed than the association between PA and gait speed, via a 14.9% (95% CI 9.2%, 23.4%) attenuation of the direct association in the offspring only. DISCUSSION: Results revealed a potential directionality from fatigue to IL-6 to PA that may lead to faster gait speed. Future work should examine these relationships longitudinally to establish temporality and causality. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings support a signal that lowering fatigue and inflammation and increasing physical activity may delay functional decline.
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