Across pooled cohorts, the slowest quarter on chair rises had about twice the mortality of the fastest
Do simple physical tests predict mortality?
The finding
Chair rise time, slowest against fastest quarter (five studies, 28,036 people): hazard ratio 1.96 (1.56–2.45). People unable to do chair rises had about four times the mortality (4.09).
- Authors
- Cooper R, Kuh D, Hardy R, et al.
- Published
- BMJ 341:c4467 · 2010
- Evidence
- Read in the primary source; numbers checked.
- Source
- doi.org/10.1136/bmj.c4467
How it was studied
Systematic review and meta-analysis of objectively measured physical capability (grip, walking speed, chair rises, standing balance) and mortality.
The numbers
Walking speed, slowest against fastest quarter: 2.87 (2.22–3.72). Grip, weakest against strongest: 1.67 (1.45–1.93). Standing balance could not be pooled because studies measured it differently, but all five balance studies found poorer balance linked to higher mortality.
What it does not show
Chair-rise, walking and balance studies were in populations with an average age over 70. Heterogeneity for chair rises was high (I² 81.9%).
What Longstanding does with it
Three of the ten tests (sit-to-stand, single-leg stand, grip) are versions of the measures pooled here.
Tests this bears on
Related
- In adults over 65, each 0.1 m/s faster walking speed went with 12% lower mortalityStudenski S · 2011
- From age 60, five sit-to-stands slower than 11.4 s (60s), 12.6 s (70s) or 14.8 s (80s) is worse than averageBohannon RW · 2006
- A meta-analysis of 42 cohorts and 3 million people found 16% higher mortality per 5 kg of lower gripWu Y · 2017