Walking fast increases longevity

MCLEAN, Va., Jan. 5 (UPI) -- How fast a person walks appears to project how long and how well a person will live, U.S. research shows.

Nine studies involving more than 34,000 people ages 65 and older were analyzed and the results published Tuesday in the Journal of American Medical Association showed those people who walked faster were projected to live longer, USA Today reported.

Lead researcher Stephanie Studenski, a geriatric physician at the University of Pittsburgh, said the predicted years of remaining life for both men and women rose as walking speed increased after age 65, with the most significant gains after age 75.

But researchers found predicting survival based on a person's walking speed was as accurate as predictions based on additional factors such as chronic conditions, smoking history, age, sex, blood pressure, body mass index and hospitalization.

An 80-year-old man who walks at a rate of 1 mph has a 10 percent probability of reaching 90. If he could successfully pick up the pace to 3.5 mph, he would have an 84 percent probability of reaching 90, the analyses conclude.

An 80-year-old woman walking at 1 mph has a 23 percent chance of reaching 90 and an 86 percent chance if picking up the pace to 3.5 mph.

"My hope is that we begin to think about ways to reflect the health and function of older people that goes beyond diseases," Studenski said. "Functional status (walking speed) is an important reflection of health."