title: Atrial fibrillation is associated with impaired mobility in community-dwelling older adults.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine the independent associations between atrial fibrillation (AF) and objectively measured mobility in a nationally representative cohort.
  
  
  METHODS
  Wave 1 of The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing (TILDA), a population-based study assessing health, economic, and social aspects of ageing.
  
  
  METHODS
  Community-dwelling adults completed a home-based interview and a center-based health assessment.
  
  
  METHODS
  Participants aged 50 years or older, with Mini-Mental State Examination score of 24 or higher, and who completed at least 1 mobility test (n = 4525).
  
  
  METHODS
  Mobility was assessed with the Timed Up-and-Go (TUG) test and usual and dual task gait speed obtained using a 4.88-m GAITRite® mat. AF was diagnosed using a 10-minute surface electrocardiogram recording. Linear regression analyses were performed to compare mobility in participants with and without AF, adjusting for confounders.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In this sample (mean age 62.3 years; range 51-89), overall prevalence of AF was 3.1%, increasing to 6.7% in the over 70s (11.8% men; 2.8% women). In multivariate analysis, AF was independently associated with slower TUG (β 0.37; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.07-0.71; P = .043) and slower usual gait speed (β -3.59; 95% CI -7.05 to -0.12; P = .030). There was a significant age*AF interaction effect for usual gait speed (β -0.480, 95% CI -0.907 to -0.053, P = .028). Adults with AF walked 3.77 cm/s more slowly than adults without AF at age 70, declining by 4.8 cm/s for each additional decade.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  AF is independently associated with lower usual gait speed in community-dwelling adults and this effect is magnified in those aged 70 and older. This may place them at increased risk of falls, hospitalization, cognitive decline, and mortality, as well as stroke and heart failure. Early recognition and treatment of AF is vital to improve physical function and reduce this risk.
authors.affiliation: The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing (TILDA), Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland. Electronic address: odonogh@tcd.ie.
authors.forename: Orna A
authors.initials: OA
authors.lastname: Donoghue
authors.affiliation: The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing (TILDA), Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland.
authors.forename: Sofie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Jansen
authors.affiliation: The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing (TILDA), Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland.
authors.forename: Cara
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Dooley
authors.affiliation: Academic Medical Center, Department of Internal Medicine, Section of Geriatric Medicine, Amsterdam, Netherlands.
authors.forename: Sophia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: De Rooij
authors.affiliation: Academic Medical Center, Department of Internal Medicine, Section of Geriatric Medicine, Amsterdam, Netherlands.
authors.forename: Nathalie
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Van Der Velde
authors.affiliation: The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing (TILDA), Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland.
authors.forename: Rose Anne
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Kenny
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001281:Atrial Fibrillation / Q000503:physiopathology*; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D004562:Electrocardiography; D005260:Female; D015577:Geriatric Assessment; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D007494:Ireland; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D051346:Mobility Limitation; D011446:Prospective Studies
keywords: Gait speed; cardiovascular; irregular heart rhythm; physical function