Walking slowly could be an early warning sign of illness
- Experts say walking speed nearly as important as pulse rate or blood pressure
- Backs up 2011 study that found faster walkers could live up to ten years longer
Daily Mail Reporter
234
View
comments
How quickly we walk offers significant clues about the state of our health, research suggests.
A slowing pace could be an early warning of heart failure, dementia or cardiac disease.
Scientists at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology believe walking speed is nearly as important as pulse rate or blood pressure.
Scroll down for video
A slowing pace could be an early warning of heart failure, dementia or cardiac disease
They have developed a sensor that hangs on the wall and transmits radio waves to detect a person’s gait and stride length as they move about their home.
Experts think the WiGait device, which is roughly the size of a small flatscreen TV, can predict the onset of health problems through analysing the data it records.
The technology has been tested in care homes in the US and was able to measure walking speed with an accuracy of 95 to 99 per cent in the research phase.
-
Better sleep can shave 10lbs off your weight, claims…
Are you a worrier? It could make you HAPPIER: Expecting the…
-
Doctor uses his PHONE to diagnose kidney stones
The waves emit 100 times less radiation than a mobile phone and can pass through walls, so that each unit can monitor a radius of 30ft to 40ft – covering an area roughly the size of a small flat.
Chen-Yu Hsu, a PhD student and lead author of the research, said that the device would be inexpensive if mass-produced and could also be used to monitor speeds of healthy individuals.
They would be able to view their walking speeds on an app and also receive alerts if they are too sedentary – encouraging them to take more exercise.
Scientists at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology believe walking speed is nearly as important as pulse rate or blood pressure
Such data could be particularly useful for doctors and relatives who want to keep an eye on an elderly person, with emergency alerts sent in the event of sudden decline.
Professor Dina Katabi, an author on the study, said: ‘Many avoidable hospitalisations are related to issues like falls, congestive heart disease, or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, which have all been shown to be correlated to gait speed.’
The findings will be presented later this month at the ACM Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems in Colorado.
They back up a 2011 University of Pittsburgh study that found faster walkers could expect to live up to ten years longer.
Share or comment on this article
-
‘I need some f**king help!’: Incredible moment heroes… -
British woman who fell to her death during Benidorm… -
Would you see it if it was in YOUR yard? Photograph shows… -
Italian waitress, 18, is found dead at her London home by… -
Famous author who penned books on Bobby Kennedy and Edie… -
So who DOES Princess Charlotte look like? She has the… -
Pakistani asylum seeker is jailed for attacking British… -
Tearful Jimmy Kimmel breaks down on air as he tells how… -
‘She’s a sl*t at 14, sleeping around’: Sickening moment… -
Theresa May is completely blanked by the ONLY home owner… -
Australian woman, 22, is pictured with 18 BAGS of cocaine… -
Cruel YouTube father and stepmom who filmed themselves… -
‘Troubled’ Christian biology student knifeman stabs… -
Putin is planting deep-sea ‘mole nukes’ near the US… -
Patient who paid £299 for custom-made clip in veneers is… -
The last thing a hero combat photographer saw before she… -
Housing market on the slide? Nine-bed house featuring a… -
A-mast-erpiece! Russian billionaire’s colossal £360…
Comments 234
Share what you think
-
Newest -
Oldest -
Best rated -
Worst rated
The comments below have not been moderated.
The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline.
Close
Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual.
Close
Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual
We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook.
You can choose on each post whether you would like it to be posted to Facebook. Your details from Facebook will be used to provide you with tailored content, marketing and ads in line with our Privacy Policy.