title: Increased walking variability in elderly persons with congestive heart failure.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the effects of congestive heart failure on a person's ability to walk at a steady pace while ambulating at a self-determined rate.
  
  
  METHODS
  Beth Israel Hospital, Boston, a primary and tertiary teaching hospital, and a social activity center for elderly adults living in the community.
  
  
  METHODS
  Eleven elderly subjects (aged 70-93 years) with well compensated congestive heart failure (NY Heart Association class I or II), seven elderly subjects (aged 70-79 years) without congestive heart failure, and 10 healthy young adult subjects (aged 20-30 years).
  
  
  METHODS
  Subjects walked for 8 minutes on level ground at their own selected walking rate. Footswitches were used to measure the time between steps. Step rate (steps/minute) and step rate variability were calculated for the entire walking period, for 30 seconds during the first minute of the walk, for 30 seconds during the last minute of the walk, and for the 30-second period when each subject's step rate variability was minimal. Group means and 5% and 95% confidence intervals were computed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  All measures of walking variability were significantly increased in the elderly subjects with congestive heart failure, intermediate in the elderly controls, and lowest in the young subjects. There was no overlap between the three groups using the minimal 30-second variability (elderly CHF vs elderly controls: P < 0.001, elderly controls vs young: P < 0.001), and no overlap between elderly subjects with and without congestive heart failure when using the overall variability. For all four measures, there was no overlap in any of the confidence intervals, and all group means were significantly different (P < 0.05).
authors.affiliation: Charles A. Dana Research Institute, Beth Israel Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts.
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Hausdorff
authors.forename: D E
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Forman
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Ladin
authors.forename: A L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Goldberger
authors.forename: D R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Rigney
authors.forename: J Y
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Wei
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D005684:Gait; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D013997:Time Factors; D016138:Walking / Q000145:classification / Q000502:physiology*