Characteristics of Nondisabled Older Persons Who Perform Poorly in Objective Tests of Lower Extremity Function

Abstract

Screening for older patients who are not disabled but have poor lower extremity performance selects a subgroup of the population with a high percentage of women, high prevalence of diabetes and hip fracture, and high levels of biological markers of inflammation. This group represents about 10% of the US population 70 to 90 years old. These findings should be considered in planning specifically tailored interventions for disability prevention in this subgroup.