Association Between Subjective Walking Speed and Metabolic Diseases in Individuals with Obesity: a Cross-sectional Analysis

Overview

Journal Sci Rep

Specialty Science

Date 2024 Nov 15

PMID 39548185

Authors

Yuiko Yamamoto

Kentaro Ikeue

Megumi Kanasaki

Hajime Yamakage

Kan Oishi

Takaaki Mori

Noriko Satoh-Asahara

Izuru Masuda

Kojiro Ishii

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

The association between subjective walking speed and metabolic diseases has received limited attention, particularly in individuals with obesity. We aimed to clarify this association using comprehensive health checkup data of participants with obesity. In total, 8578 individuals with a body mass index ≥ 25.0 kg/m, 9626 individuals with waist circumference ≥ 85 cm in men and ≥ 90 cm in women, and 6742 individuals who met both criteria of body mass index and waist circumference were included in this cross-sectional analysis. Subjective walking speed was investigated using the question "Is your walking speed faster than the speed of those of your age and sex?" in a health examination questionnaire. Metabolic diseases were defined according to the guidelines for each disease, and modified Poisson regression analyses were performed. In the model adjusted for age and sex, individuals with obesity based on body mass index and fast subjective walking speed showed significantly lower risk of diabetes mellitus (risk ratio [RR] 0.70; 95% CI 0.63-0.77) and dyslipidemia (RR 0.97; 95% CI 0.94-1.00). Similarly, among those with obesity based on waist circumference and both body mass index and waist circumference, fast subjective walking speed showed a significant negative association with hypertension (RR 0.94; 95% CI 0.90-0.97 and RR 0.95; 95% CI 0.92-0.99, respectively), diabetes mellitus (RR 0.70; 95% CI 0.64-0.77 and RR 0.70; 95% CI 0.63-0.77, respectively), and dyslipidemia (RR 0.96; 95% CI 0.94-0.99 and RR 0.96; 95% CI 0.94-0.99, respectively). Thus, among individuals with obesity, the odds of metabolic diseases were lower if their subjective walking speed was fast. This study contributes to earlier prevention of the cascade of diseases that begin with obesity.

Citing Articles

The association between inflammatory markers, walking speed, and metabolic syndrome in older Chinese adults.

Dai D, Zhao L, Li S, Xu Y, Du A Aging Clin Exp Res. 2025; 37(1):54.

PMID: 40011300 PMC: 11865104. DOI: 10.1007/s40520-025-02984-y.

References

. [Definition and the diagnostic standard for metabolic syndrome--Committee to Evaluate Diagnostic Standards for Metabolic Syndrome]. Nihon Naika Gakkai Zasshi. 2005; 94(4):794-809. View

Nishimura T, Hagio A, Hamaguchi K, Kurihara T, Iemitsu M, Sanada K . Associations between locomotive and non-locomotive physical activity and physical performance in older community-dwelling females with and without locomotive syndrome: a cross-sectional study. J Physiol Anthropol. 2021; 40(1):18. PMC: 8570009. DOI: 10.1186/s40101-021-00268-8. View

Roberts C, Sindhu K . Oxidative stress and metabolic syndrome. Life Sci. 2009; 84(21-22):705-12. DOI: 10.1016/j.lfs.2009.02.026. View

Kong G, Chin Y, Lim J, Ng C, Kannan S, Chong B . A two-decade population-based study on the effect of hypertension in the general population with obesity in the United States. Obesity (Silver Spring). 2023; 31(3):832-840. DOI: 10.1002/oby.23658. View

Tallis J, James R, Seebacher F . The effects of obesity on skeletal muscle contractile function. J Exp Biol. 2018; 221(Pt 13). DOI: 10.1242/jeb.163840. View

Gando Y, Sawada S, Kawakami R, Momma H, Shimada K, Fukunaka Y . Combined association of cardiorespiratory fitness and family history of hypertension on the incidence of hypertension: a long-term cohort study of Japanese males. Hypertens Res. 2018; 41(12):1063-1069. DOI: 10.1038/s41440-018-0117-2. View

Ouchi N, Parker J, Lugus J, Walsh K . Adipokines in inflammation and metabolic disease. Nat Rev Immunol. 2011; 11(2):85-97. PMC: 3518031. DOI: 10.1038/nri2921. View

Yates T, Zaccardi F, Dhalwani N, Davies M, Bakrania K, Celis-Morales C . Association of walking pace and handgrip strength with all-cause, cardiovascular, and cancer mortality: a UK Biobank observational study. Eur Heart J. 2017; 38(43):3232-3240. PMC: 5837337. DOI: 10.1093/eurheartj/ehx449. View

Itoh H . [What is 'metabolic domino effect'?--new concept in lifestyle-related diseases]. Nihon Rinsho. 2003; 61(10):1837-43. View

10.

Najafian J, Mohammadifard N, Fatemi Naeini F, Nouri F . Relation between usual daily walking time and metabolic syndrome. Niger Med J. 2014; 55(1):29-33. PMC: 4071659. DOI: 10.4103/0300-1652.128156. View

11.

Samuel V, Shulman G . Mechanisms for insulin resistance: common threads and missing links. Cell. 2012; 148(5):852-71. PMC: 3294420. DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2012.02.017. View

12.

Umemura S, Arima H, Arima S, Asayama K, Dohi Y, Hirooka Y . The Japanese Society of Hypertension Guidelines for the Management of Hypertension (JSH 2019). Hypertens Res. 2019; 42(9):1235-1481. DOI: 10.1038/s41440-019-0284-9. View

13.

He P, Gan X, Ye Z, Liu M, Zhou C, Wu Q . Combined handgrip strength and walking pace, genetic susceptibility, and incident hypertension: A prospective study in UK Biobank. Scand J Med Sci Sports. 2023; 33(6):989-999. DOI: 10.1111/sms.14336. View

14.

Williams P . Vigorous exercise, fitness and incident hypertension, high cholesterol, and diabetes. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2008; 40(6):998-1006. PMC: 2825216. DOI: 10.1249/MSS.0b013e31816722a9. View

15.

Kinoshita K, Ozato N, Yamaguchi T, Sudo M, Yamashiro Y, Mori K . The effect of age on the association between daily gait speed and abdominal obesity in Japanese adults. Sci Rep. 2021; 11(1):19975. PMC: 8497527. DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-98679-1. View

16.

Shih Y, Shih C, Chen J . The association between walking speed and risk of cardiovascular disease in middle-aged and elderly people in Taiwan, a community-based, cross-sectional study. PLoS One. 2020; 15(7):e0235277. PMC: 7337282. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0235277. View

17.

Warburton D, Nicol C, Bredin S . Health benefits of physical activity: the evidence. CMAJ. 2006; 174(6):801-9. PMC: 1402378. DOI: 10.1503/cmaj.051351. View

18.

Appenzeller P, Gautschi F, Muller J, Lichtblau M, Saxer S, Schneider S . Prediction of maximal oxygen uptake from 6-min walk test in pulmonary hypertension. ERJ Open Res. 2022; 8(2). PMC: 9209853. DOI: 10.1183/23120541.00664-2021. View

19.

Lefferts E, Saavedra J, Song B, Brellenthin A, Pescatello L, Lee D . Increasing Lifestyle Walking by 3000 Steps per Day Reduces Blood Pressure in Sedentary Older Adults with Hypertension: Results from an e-Health Pilot Study. J Cardiovasc Dev Dis. 2023; 10(8). PMC: 10455876. DOI: 10.3390/jcdd10080317. View

20.

Araki E, Goto A, Kondo T, Noda M, Noto H, Origasa H . Japanese Clinical Practice Guideline for Diabetes 2019. Diabetol Int. 2020; 11(3):165-223. PMC: 7387396. DOI: 10.1007/s13340-020-00439-5. View