MELBOURNE, Sept. 28 (Xinhua) -- Physical decline in older adults could be an early warning sign of a major cardiovascular event years before it occurs, an Australian-led study has found.
The study, led by Australia's Monash University, tracked more than 12,000 adults aged 65 and older using 14 years of data from the Monash-led ASPREE (ASPirin in Reducing Events in the Elderly) trial, according to a university statement released Monday.
Participants who later experienced a cardiovascular event showed a noticeable decline in their ability to carry out everyday activities, such as walking, climbing stairs and carrying groceries, with the decline accelerating sharply in the five years before the event, said the study published in JAMA Cardiology.
For some outcomes, including heart failure and coronary heart disease death, differences in physical function were apparent at least a decade beforehand, while they emerged later for heart attack and stroke, the study showed.
Researchers assessed four measures of functional health annually, covering frailty, overall physical and mental abilities, and the impact of physical health on everyday functioning.
The study found that a simple questionnaire that could be completed in a few minutes could help track changes in physical function over time among older people, complement established cardiovascular risk assessments, and help guide earlier intervention. ■
