"Obviously, it’s nice to see a dose-response, but simply knowing that someone’s using a walking aid and getting them to the point where they’ve got improved walking ability, could go a long way," she said.
Though the study was not designed to address potential mechanisms, Dr. Hawker said she’s long argued that physical activity and mobility are a key player of downstream effects on fitness, blood pressure, glucose control, and ability to participate in self-management activities and physician visits. The potential role for pain, mood, and stress also can not be excluded.
One audience member asked whether walking disability may be a "cheap and dirty version" of the stress test.
Dr. Hawker responded that walking disability is a proxy for a lot of things and is definitely OA-related, adding, "Yes, I think it is a very cheap and dirty stress test. It’s a lovely thing that if we focused more explicitly on it in randomized trials, for instance as a primary outcome, or in rehabilitation strategies, it would have global benefit."
The authors reported no competing interests.