Background: The association of gait characteristics with disease severity and health status/symptom burden is currently unknown in COPD patients.

Aim: To examine whether gait characteristics (cadence (steps/min), stride length (m), and walking speed (m/s)) are affected by health status/symptom burden and the degree of lung dysfunction in COPD.

Methods: 17 clinically stable COPD patients (mean±SD FEV1% predicted: 56.8±19.2, CAT: 19.6±9.0; range: 6.0 to 33.0) underwent laboratory assessment (stereophotogrammetry) and free-living gait monitoring (multi-sensor wearable system (INDIP)). The laboratory tests included common daily walking tasks (straight walking, turns, surfaces and obstacles). Free-living daily-life activities included a 2.5-hour habitual daily activity assessment. Linear regression was employed to investigate associations between gait characteristics and the following variables: CAT, FEV1% predicted, and FVC% predicted.

Results: A better CAT score was associated (p<0.05) with a faster walking cadence across the various laboratory tasks (r=-0.56 to -0.70, R²=0.32 to 0.49) and the free-living activities (r=-0.49, R²=0.24). Stride length and walking speed (Table 1) were not associated with CAT scores. Lung function was not associated with gait characteristics.   

Conclusion: Irrespective of the degree of lung dysfunction, more symptomatic COPD patients exhibit greater impairment in cadence. Future pharmacological and non-pharmacological interventions may include cadence as a study outcome.

Table 1. Gait characteristics during free-living conditions