ORLANDO, Fla. (Ivanhoe Newswire) — Everyone has a unique walk and now research is showing your gait may reveal secrets about your health.
You probably don’t think much about it, but the way you walk can say a lot about your current and future health. Researchers are using sophisticated technology to see how changes in your gait could detect certain diseases early on, health secrets.
Mini Elizabeth Jacob, MD, PhD, an assistant professor at Glenn Biggs Institute at UT Health San Antonio told Ivanhoe, “One of the most important characteristics that we know changes with the early Alzheimer’s is the speed at which you walk. So, with age, speed decreases. But there could be an acceleration in that decline which could happen about almost a decade before actual diagnosis of cognitive impairment.”
Changes in walking patterns could spot other neurological diseases like Parkinson’s, multiple sclerosis, and a condition known as normal pressure hydrocephalus. A recent study also found that certain walking patterns are associated with the genetic disorders Fragile X and Shank3 deletion syndrome which are both linked to autism.
Some signs you may want to ask your doctor about include: slower movements, arms that don’t swing when you walk, a shuffling step, difficulty balancing, lots of falls, and a hunched posture.
Here’s a fun fact about walking: the average person walks 65,000 miles in their lifetime. That’s equivalent to walking three times around the earth!
Contributors to this news report include: Julie Marks, Writer and Roque Correa, Editor.
Sources:
https://healthcare-in-europe.com/en/news/what-your-walk-says-about-your-health.html
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/10/211022123807.htm
https://gmtma.org/10-fun-facts-about-walking/
WALKING REVEALS HEALTH SECRETS #2933
BACKGROUND: Your walk may not raise any particular flags for you, but your walk can tell doctors a lot about your current and future health. A fast-paced walk can indicate that you’ll live a longer life, while veering left when you walk can indicate anxiety. Other signs like tiptoeing while you walk, limping, being off balance, slapping steps, swaying, dragging your feet long strides, and plodding can tell you whatever your doctor needs to know in order to treat you accordingly. A study published by the Alzheimer’s Association observed walking patterns in connection to Alzheimer’s disease with 500 older adults. The researchers found that high gait variability was associated with lower cognitive performance, and it also identified Alzheimer’s disease with 70% accuracy.
(Sources: https://www.webmd.com/healthy-aging/ss/slideshow-walk-style-meaning
https://www.eatthis.com/news-walk-alzheimers-disease-study/)
WHAT CAN YOUR WALK SAY ABOUT YOU?: Changes in gait, or the way you walk, could be alarming for older adults. According to Dr. Brooke Salzman of Thomas Jefferson University, “gait and balance disorders are among the most common causes of falls in older adults and often lead to injury, disability, loss of independence, and limited quality of life.” At least 30% of people 65 and older have a hard time walking for three blocks or climbing one flight of stairs and 20% require mobility aids, such as wheelchairs or canes. Dr. Salzman recorded that it is often difficult to tell whether an older adult’s gait changes because of aging or because of health issues, but it is imperative to get checked regularly.
(Source: https://www.aafp.org/afp/2010/0701/p61.html)
NEW TECHNOLOGIES TO DETERMINE GAIT CHANGE: A recent study conducted by the University of Plymouth observed people’s walking patterns by using motion sensors in their phones while going about their daily routines. For seven to 10 days, the researchers observed 44 participants between the ages of 18 and 56, and each participant completed an average of 4,000 sample activities during the study. The researchers found that the motion sensor on their phones were around 85% accurate in recognizing their individual gaits, which later rose to 90% when they were walking normally or fast walking.
(Source: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/12/211210093023.htm)
* For More Information, Contact:
Mini Jacob, MD, PhD
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