The objectively measured walking speed and risk of hypertension in Chinese older adults: a prospective cohort study

This study aims to investigate the longitudinal association between objectively measured walking speed and hypertension and to explore the potential effect modification of obesity on this association in Chinese older adults. The data from the Chinese Health and Retirement Prospective Cohort Study (CHARLS) during 2011–2015 was used. Walking speed was assessed by measuring the participants’ usual gait in a 2.5 m course, and it was divided into four groups according to the quartiles (Q1, Q2, Q3, and Q4). A total of 2733 participants ≥60 years old were eligible for the analyses. After a follow-up of 4 years, 26.9% occurred hypertension. An inverse association was observed between walking speed and the risk of hypertension. There was an interaction between body mass index (BMI) and walking speed for the hypertension risk ( P = 0.010). the association of walking speed with hypertension was stronger in overweight and obese participants (Q2, OR: 0.54, 95%CI = 0.34–0.85, P = 0.009; Q3, OR: 0.69, 95%CI = 0.44–1.08, P = 0.106; Q4, OR: 0.62, 95%CI = 0.39–0.98, P = 0.039). However, this association was not significant among lean ones. A similar trend was observed for systolic and diastolic blood pressure. In conclusion, higher walking speed was longitudinally associated with a lower risk of hypertension in Chinese older adults, especially among overweight and obese participants.