Physical Slowing May Precede Major Heart Problems by Years

A gradual loss of strength, speed or energy may emerge years ahead of a serious cardiovascular problem in older adults. Researchers found that participants who later had major heart or blood-vessel complications tended to become frailer and function less well than comparable people who remained free of those events. The gap was visible up to 10 years beforehand and widened as the event approached.

The research followed older people living in Australia and the United States for 14 years. At enrollment, participants had no previous cardiovascular event, dementia or major physical limitation. The team measured frailty, a combined assessment covering movement, energy, thinking and mental well-being, and quality of life related to physical health. Declines accelerated across all three areas during the final five years among participants who later developed cardiovascular trouble.

The pattern began especially early before heart failure or death linked to coronary disease. Differences associated with strokes and heart attacks generally appeared later. These findings do not establish that worsening physical ability causes cardiovascular illness or reliably forecasts an individual event. Instead, sustained difficulty with familiar activities may add useful context to blood pressure, cholesterol and other routine risk assessments when discussed with a health care provider.