Posture may Predict Future Disability-J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci. 2013

Posted by:  Kevin G. Parker, D.C.

Pub Med.gov:   J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci. 2013 Jan 28. [Epub ahead of print]

Spinal Posture in the Sagittal Plane Is Associated With Future Dependence in Activities of Daily Living: A Community-Based Cohort Study of Older Adults in Japan.-Kamitani K, Michikawa T, Iwasawa S, Eto N, Tanaka T, Takebayashi T, Nishiwaki Y.

Yuji Nishiwaki, Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, School of Medicine, Toho University, 5-21-16 Omori-nishi, Otaku, Tokyo 143-8540, Japan. E-mail: yuuji.nishiwaki@med.toho-u.ac.jp.

Before we get into this article…. similar article in 2004:  Posture Predicts Mortality-Journal of the American Geriatrics Society-October 2004-Hyperkyphotic Posture Predicts Mortality in Older Community-Dwelling Men and Women: A Prospective Study

Key points from this 2013 study:

1. Other published studies ( see link above) suggest that healthy spinal posture is important in aging men and women who wish to independence in ADL. (Activities of Daily Living)

2.  Spinal Posture measurement was tied to whether seniors in study would need help with routine activities

3.  The  researchers found that those subjects with the greatest angle of spinal inclination –  were about 3 1/2 times more likely to become dependent on help for basic daily activities–as compared to those with the least spinal inclination.

4.   This could predict their future need for home assistance or admission to a nursing home– according to this  new Japanese study.
Abstract

CONCLUSIONS:
This study indicates that spinal inclination is associated with future dependence in ADL among older adults.
BACKGROUND:
Accumulated evidence shows how important spinal posture is for aged populations in maintaining independence in everyday life. However, the cross-sectional designs of most previous studies prevent elucidation of the relationship between spinal posture and future dependence in activities of daily living (ADL). We tried to clarify the association by measuring spinal posture noninvasively in a community-based prospective cohort study of older adults, paying particular attention to thoracic curvature, lumbar curvature, sacral hip angle, and inclination to determine which parameter is most strongly associated with dependence in ADL.
METHODS:
Spinal posture was evaluated in 804 participants (338 men, 466 women, age range: 65-94 years) who were independent in ADL at baseline. We defined dependence in ADL as admission to a nursing home or need of home assistance. During the 4.5-year follow-up period, 126 (15.7%) participants became dependent in ADL. The relationship between the spinal posture parameters and outcome was assessed by dividing the participants into sex-specific quartiles of the parameters.
RESULTS:
Only inclination (angle subtended between the vertical and a line joining C7 to the sacrum) was associated with outcome, although lumbar curvature also showed a marginal association. The age- and sex-adjusted odds ratio for a 1 unit increase in the quartiles of inclination was 1.79 (confidence interval: 1.44, 2.23). After mutual adjustment for the 4 parameters, statistical significance for inclination still remained, with no substantial changes in the association estimates.

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