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The relationship between history of falling and physical function in subjects with peripheral arterial disease

Claude D Pepper Older Americans Independence Center, Department of Medicine, Division of Gerontology, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD, USA, Geriatric Research, Education and Clinical Center, Maryland Veterans Affairs Health Care System at Baltimore, MD, USA, University of Oklahoma, Department of Health and Sport Sciences, OK, USA

Polly S Montgomery

Claude D Pepper Older Americans Independence Center, Department of Medicine, Division of Gerontology, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD, USA, Geriatric Research, Education and Clinical Center, Maryland Veterans Affairs Health Care System at Baltimore, MD, USA, University of Oklahoma, Department of Health and Sport Sciences, OK, USA

The purpose of this study was to determine whether peripheral arterial disease (PAD) subjects with a history of falling had more impaired physical function than their non-falling counterparts. A total of 120 PAD subjects (26%) who had fallen over the past year and 346 PAD subjects (74%) who had not fallen were evaluated. Additionally, subjects were characterized on physical function, consisting of balance, strength, ambulatory function, and monitored physical activity, as well as PAD-specific measures of ankle/brachial pressure index (ABPI) and treadmill claudication distances.

Full-tandem stance time was 19% shorter (p 0.001) in the fallers than in the non-fallers (7.2 ± 0.3 vs 8.9 ± 0.1 s; mean ± SEM), and the self-reported ability to climb stairs was 36% lower (27 ± 4 vs 42 ± 2%). Furthermore, the fallers were 126% more likely (p 0.001) to report ambulatory stumbling and unsteadiness, took 14% longer (p = 0.022) to perform five sequential sit-to-stand transfers using an armless chair, covered 16% shorter distance (p 0.001) during a 6-min walk test, and were 25% less physically active than the non-fallers. The groups had similar ABPI and treadmill claudication distances (p 0.05). A history of falling was independently related to the self-reported ability to climb stairs, the full-tandem stance time, self-reported ambulatory stumbling and unsteadiness, and daily physical activity (multiple R = 0.47, p 0.001). In conclusion, impairments in multiple domains of physical function were associated with a history of falling in PAD subjects with intermittent claudication. Furthermore, the link between poor physical function and falling was independent of PAD severity.

Key Words: ambulation • balance • falls • intermittent claudication • leg strength • physical activity

Vascular Medicine, Vol. 6, No. 4, 223-227 (2001)
DOI: 10.1177/1358836X0100600404


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