Associations of uric acid with wearable sensor-derived digital gait characteristics in older adults: vigor, symmetry, and stability
摘要
Elevated uric acid (UA) has been linked to impaired nervous system and skeletal muscle function. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between UA and digital gait characteristics in older adults.
MethodsWe enrolled 651 older adults (≥ 60 years) who completed a wearable device-based walking test and blood sample detection. Multidimensional sensors were used to measure 15 gait parameters. Asymmetry index (AI) and coefficient of variation (CV) were calculated for each parameter. Multiple linear regression analyses were employed to examine the associations between UA and gait characteristics.
ResultsThe mean age of all participants was 70.45 ± 6.12 years, with a mean UA concentration of 298.60 ± 92.39 μmol/L. After full adjustment for demographic characteristics and multiple health indicators, per 1-SD increase in UA was positively associated with swing time (β = 6.953, P = 0.007). Conversely, UA was negatively associated with thigh swing work (β = − 0.023, P = 0.003), foot landing control force (β = − 0.134, P < 0.001), stride frequency (β = − 1.074, P = 0.049) and stride length (β = − 0.014, P = 0.012). After false discovery rate (FDR) correction for multiple comparisons, all these associations remained statistically significant except for stride frequency. Higher UA levels were associated with higher AIs of thigh acceleration (β = 0.034, P = 0.013), ground reaction force (β = 0.033, P = 0.002), foot landing control force (β = 0.048, P < 0.001) and toe-off angle (β = 0.061, P = 0.001). UA was positively associated with CVs of swing time (β = 0.032, P < 0.001), ground reaction force (β = 0.015, P = 0.001), foot landing control force (β = 0.018, P = 0.001) and toe-off angle (β = 0.035, P = 0.002). All these associations with gait symmetry and stability indices remained statistically significant after FDR correction. Exploratory analyses identified high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, interleukin-6, superoxide dismutase, and glutathione reductase as potential biomarkers linking the association between UA and gait performance.
ConclusionHigher UA levels are associated with poorer gait performance in terms of vigor, symmetry, and stability. The underlying inflammatory and oxidative stress mechanisms need to be elucidated in future experimental studies.
Clinical trial numberNot applicable.