Polyunsaturated fatty acids in relation to incident mobility disability and decline in gait speed; the Age, Gene/Environment Susceptibility-Reykjavik Study

Background/Objectives:Low intake of long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) are associated with physical disability; however, prospective studies of circulating PUFAs are scarce. We examined associations between plasma phospholipid n-3 and n-6 PUFAs with risk of incident mobility disability and gait speed decline.Subjects/Methods:Data are from a subgroup of the Age, Gene/Environment Susceptibility-Reykjavik Study, a population-based study of risk factors for disease and disability in old age. In this subgroup (n=556, mean age 75.1±5.0 years, 47.5% men), plasma phospholipid PUFAs were assessed at baseline using gas chromatography. Mobility disability and usual gait speed were assessed at baseline and after 5.2±0.2 years. Mobility disability was defined as the following: having much difficulty, or being unable to walk 500 m or climb up 10 steps; decline in gait speed was defined as change ⩾0.10 m/s. Logistic regression analyses were performed to determine associations between s...