Do People With Hypertension Walk More Slowly?

According to new research, people with hypertension walk slower than people with normal blood pressure. This is important since gait speed is a measure of how functional a person is, and it's a good indicator of overall health. As a person ages and their health declines, they walk more slowly. Gait speed is a useful measure that's not given the attention it deserves.

Gait Speed and Hypertension

Researchers from the University of Pittsburgh and the University of Washington made the discovery that people with hypertension are slower after looking at the gait speed of 2,733 older adults. They found that people with hypertension walk more slowly than people with normal blood pressures - and they became slow walkers earlier in life than people without high blood pressure.

How high blood pressure affects gait speed is still unclear, but researchers have proposed one possible reason. People with hypertension have more white spots in areas of their brain on brain imaging. These white spots called white matter hyperintensities are more common in people with high blood pressure, and they indicate areas of inflammation in the brain. People who have more of these areas on brain imaging are usually less functional and walk more slowly as a result.

Walking Slowly: A Sign of Bad Health?

Gait speed is a good overall indicator of brain health - and health in general. People who have certain neurological diseases such as multiple sclerosis, dementia and Parkinson's disease walk more slowly - and a slow gait can be an early sign of disability in older adults. Despite this, walking speed is usually not measured during a physical exam even in older people, but it could be a very useful screening test for health problems in people of all ages.

There is some good news, According to this study, people with hypertension can reduce their risk of slowing down by keeping their blood pressures well-controlled through diet, lifestyle changes and, when necessary, medications. Of course exercise is important too to lower blood pressure and reduce the risk of heart disease - and also to increase functionality.

The Bottom Line?

People with hypertension should make the changes necessary to keep their blood pressures well-controlled to avoid slowing down as they age. It's also important to take note of family members who aren't walking as fast as they used to. It may not just be "old age". A slow-down in gait speed can be a sign of some neurological problems and even an early sign of dementia. It's not a sign to ignore.

References:

Medical News Today. "High Blood Pressure Linked to Slower Gait and Impaired Mobility"

Merck Manual. Eighteenth edition. 2006.