Table 1

Baseline characteristics of the total sample and stratified by quartiles of gait speed

Quartiles of gait speed
Baseline characteristicTotal population All (n=213)Q1
<0.40 m/s
(n=54)
Q2
0.40–0.59 m/s
(n=53)
Q3
0.60–0.79 m/s
(n=54)
Q4
≥0.80 m/s
(n=52)
p Value
Age (years)72.1 (10.8)76.2 (9.8)76.5 (9.0)69.2 (10.1)66.0 (10.7)<0.001
Male, n (%)111 (52.1)25 (46.3)25 (47.2)27 (50.0)34 (65.4)0.170
Smoking pack year history44 (30)46 (32)43 (33)47 (26)39 (29)0.510
Lives alone91 (42.7)28 (54.9)23 (42.6)25 (46.3)15 (27.8)0.040
BMI (kg/m2)25.6 (22.1, 29.6)26.1 (21.7, 31.3)25.4 (20.7, 30.0)25.5 (21.9, 29.9)25.5 (23.3, 28.2)0.771
FEV1% pred.35 (26, 49)41 (30, 52)30 (24, 43)36 (22, 54)35 (26, 48)0.085
One or more admissions in last year, n (%)79 (37.1)18 (33.3)20 (37.7)18 (33.3)23 (44.2)0.615
Number of exacerbations in previous year2 (1, 4)3 (1, 4)1.5 (0.75, 4)2 (1, 4)2 (1, 4)0.544
Length of stay (days)3 (1, 5)4 (2, 5)3 (2, 6)2 (1, 4)1 (1, 3)<0.001
DECAF1 (1, 2)2 (1, 3)2 (1, 3)1 (1, 2)1 (0, 2)<0.001
Total number of comorbidities3 (2, 5)4 (3, 5)3 (2, 4)3 (2, 4)2 (1, 3)<0.001
Charlson Index1 (1, 2)2 (1, 4)2 (1, 3)2 (1, 3)1 (1, 2)0.005
MRC 1–365 (30.5)8 (14.8)13 (24.5)16 (29.6)28 (53.9)<0.001
MRC 442 (19.7)6 (11.1)8 (15.1)15 (27.8)13 (25.0)
MRC 5106 (49.8)40 (74.1)32 (60.4)23 (42.6)11 (21.2)
SGRQ total56.7 (16.5)65.2 (13.3)57.5 (16.6)56.5 (15.2)47.4 (15.9)<0.001
Katz Index
 1–418 (8.5)11 (20.4)4 (7.7)3 (5.6)0 (0.0)0.001
 5–6194 (91.5)43 (79.6)48 (92.3)51 (94.4)52 (100.0)
Daily energy expenditure (kcal/day)68 (11, 141)11 (0, 90)51 (7, 96)63 (22, 185)124 (70, 268)<0.001
4MGS, m/s0.61 (0.26)0.28 (0.10)0.50 (0.05)0.69 (0.60)0.95 (0.15)<0.001
  • Data expressed as mean (SD) or median (25th, 75th centiles).

  • 4MGS, 4 m gait speed; BMI, body mass index; DECAF score, extended MRC Dyspnoea Score, Eosinopenia, Consolidation, Acidaemia, atrial Fibrillation; MRC, Medical Research Council Dyspnoea Score; SGRQ, St George's Respiratory Questionnaire.