RT Journal Article SR Electronic T1 Does the one-year decline in walking speed predict mortality risk beyond current walking speed in adults with knee osteoarthritis? JF The Journal of Rheumatology JO J Rheumatol FD The Journal of Rheumatology SP jrheum.200259 DO 10.3899/jrheum.200259 A1 Hiral Master A1 Tuhina Neogi A1 Michael LaValley A1 Louise M. Thoma A1 Yuqing Zhang A1 Dana Voinier A1 Meredith B. Christiansen A1 Daniel K. White YR 2020 UL http://www.jrheum.org/content/early/2020/08/24/jrheum.200259.abstract AB Objective To investigate whether walking speed at one time-point, decline over the past one year, or both predict mortality risk over 11 years in adults with or at risk of knee osteoarthritis (OA). Methods Using the data from the Osteoarthritis Initiative, we defined slow vs. adequate walking speed as walking < 1.22 vs. ≥ 1.22 meters/second (m/s) on 20-meter (m) walk test during the 12- month follow-up visit. We defined meaningful decline (yes/no) as slowing > 0.08 m/s over past one year. At the 12-month visit, we classified adequate sustainers as those with adequate walking speed and no meaningful decline, slow sustainers as slow walking speed and no meaningful decline, adequate decliners as adequate walking speed and meaningful decline, and slow decliners as slow walking speed and meaningful decline. Mortality was recorded over 11 years. To examine the association of walking speed with mortality, hazard ratios and 95% confidence intervals (HR[95%CI]) were calculated using Cox regression, adjusted for potential confounders. Results Of 4229 participants in the analytic sample (58% female, age 62±9 years, BMI 29±5 kg/m2), 6% (n=270) died over 11 years. Slow sustainers and slow decliners had two times increased mortality risk compared to adequate sustainers (HR[95%CI]; 1.96[1.44, 2.66] for slow sustainers, and 2.08[1.46, 2.96] for slow decliners). Adequate decliners had 0.43 times the mortality risk compared with adequate sustainers (0.57[0.32, 1.01]). Conclusion In adults with or at risk of knee OA, walking slower than <1.22 m/s in the present increased mortality risk, irrespective of decline over the previous year.