Difficulty walking? It could be an ‘early warning sign’ for fractures
Asking patients about their walking ability could catch those at greater risk, Aussie doctors say.
Over-45s who struggle to walk for one kilometre are up to three times more likely to experience fractures than those without such limitations, Australian doctors report.
The team say self-reported walking capacity could act as an “early warning sign” for doctors.
“We think this simple assessment could help identify many more at-risk individuals who may benefit from bone density screening or preventive treatment,” said lead author and endocrinologist Professor Jacqueline Center, from Sydney’s Garvan Institute of Medical Research.
They used data from nearly 240,000 participants in the longitudinal Sax Institute 45 and Up Study who were asked to about their walking ability at 100m, 500m and one kilometre as a proxy for muscle function.
