Citation

Rolita L, Holtzer R, Wang C, Lipton RB, Derby CA, Verghese J. J. Am. Geriatr. Soc. 2010; 58(3): 545-550.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2010, John Wiley and Sons)

DOI

10.1111/j.1532-5415.2010.02718.x

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

OBJECTIVES: To determine the influence of homocysteine on mobility decline in older adults.

DESIGN: Prospective cohort.

SETTING: Einstein Aging Study, community‐based aging study.

PARTICIPANTS: Five hundred seventy‐four older adults without dementia (mean age 80.2 ± 5.4, 61% women).

MEASUREMENTS: Mobility decline defined using gait velocity measurements at baseline and annual follow‐up visits. Linear mixed effects models were used to adjust for age, sex, education, and other potential confounders.

RESULTS: Higher homocysteine levels were associated with slower gait velocity at baseline. Adjusted for age, sex, and education, a one‐unit increase in baseline log homocysteine levels was associated with a 2.95‐cm/s faster mobility decline per year (P=.01) over a median follow‐up of 1.4 years. The 140 subjects in the highest quartile of homocysteine had a faster rate of mobility decline (1.75 cm/s per year faster, P=.01) than the 434 subjects in the lowest three quartiles of homocysteine (≤15 μmol/L). The association between homocysteine and mobility decline remained robust even after adjusting for multiple confounders and accounting for the presence of clinical gait abnormalities.

CONCLUSION: Higher homocysteine levels are associated with greater risk of mobility decline in community‐residing older adults.