Gait velocity in diabetic and non diabetic elderly adults

Abstract

Diabetes Mellitus is related to several neuromuscular skeletal problems that can lead to physical disablement and changes in gait such as reduction of walking speed, short paces and limited mobility of knee and ankle. The main aim of this study is to compare the gait velocity of diabetic and non-diabetic elderly adults using the 10 meters walking test. The data were analyzed using Mann-Whitney Test. The research was executed at the School-Clinic of UNI-BH and at Centro de Saúde São Francisco. The sample was composed by 47 participants, 24 non-diabetics (group 1), and 23 diabetics (group 2), 35 women and 12 men, all of them aged 60 to 75 years old. The results of the study show that diabetic elderly (median 1,11m/s) walk more slowly than non-diabetic elderly (median 0,95m/s). Therefore, it indicates that diabetic elderly can suffer a greater functional decline when compared to non-diabetic elderly.