Walking Impairment Questionnaire Improves Mortality Risk Prediction Models in a High-Risk Cohort Independent of Peripheral Arterial Disease Status

Abstract

All 3 WIQ categories independently predicted future all-cause and cardiovascular mortality. Importantly, we found that this subjective measure of walking ability could be extended to patients without peripheral arterial disease. The addition of the WIQ scores to established cardiovascular risk models significantly improved risk discrimination and reclassification, suggesting broad clinical use for this simple, inexpensive test.