PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Lies Lahousse
AU  - Vincentius J.A. Verlinden
AU  - Jos N. van der Geest
AU  - Guy F. Joos
AU  - Albert Hofman
AU  - Bruno H.C. Stricker
AU  - Guy G. Brusselle
AU  - M. Arfan Ikram
TI  - Gait patterns in COPD: the Rotterdam Study
AID  - 10.1183/09031936.00213214
DP  - 2015 Jul 01
TA  - European Respiratory Journal
PG  - 88--95
VI  - 46
IP  - 1
4099  - http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/46/1/88.short
4100  - http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/46/1/88.full
SO  - Eur Respir J2015 Jul 01; 46
AB  - Gait disturbances in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) may lead to disability and falls. As studies assessing gait kinematics in COPD are sparse, we investigated associations of COPD with various gait domains and explored a potential link with falling.Gait was measured within the prospective, population-based Rotterdam Study (age ≥55 years) using an electronic walkway and summarised into seven gait domains: Rhythm, Variability, Phases, Pace, Tandem, Turning and Base of Support. Rhythm is a temporal gait aspect that includes cadence and reflects how quickly steps are taken.Persons with COPD (n=196) exhibited worse Rhythm (−0.21 sd, 95% CI −0.36– −0.06 sd) compared with persons with normal lung function (n=898), independent of age, sex, height, education, smoking or analgesic use, especially when dyspnoea and severe airflow limitation or frequent exacerbations (Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease group D: −0.83 sd, 95% CI −1.25– −0.41 sd) were present. A lower forced expiratory volume in 1 s was associated with worse Rhythm and Pace, including lower cadence and gait velocity, respectively. Importantly, fallers with COPD had significantly worse Rhythm than nonfallers with COPD.This study demonstrates that persons with COPD exhibit worse Rhythm, especially fallers with COPD. The degree of Rhythm deterioration was associated with the degree of airflow limitation, symptoms and frequency of exacerbations.This study comprehensively investigates, in a large, population-based cohort, the gait pattern in COPD http://ow.ly/HQbc3