新奇事件簿 老年人步伐快是长寿征兆（在线收听）

A newly-released study reveals that walking fast in your old age is a sign you will live a long life. The report in the Journal of the American Medical Association analyzed data from nine studies that involved 34,485 senior citizens. Participants in the research were regularly tested over a period of 21 years. The researchers looked at the relationship between walking speed in the over-65s and expected longevity. They concluded that the faster an older person can walk, the longer they can expect to live. Lead researcher Dr. Stephanie Studenski said: "It’s a real part of the human experience to see that when someone slows down with age, they may not be doing as well as they once were."

一项最新研究显示，老年人步伐快是长寿征兆。这项发表在“美国医学协会”杂志上的报告对9项研究数据进行了分析，包括3万4485名老年研究对象。在21年里，研究人员对他们进行了定期检测。并对65岁以上老人的步伐速率和长寿关系进行了分析。研究结果表明，步伐越快，寿命越长。研究主任斯蒂芬妮·斯图登斯基博士认为：“当人们随着年龄的增大速率开始变缓时，他们的身体就会大不如前，许多人都有这样的体会。”

Dr. Studenski explained why an elderly person’s walking pace could be an indicator of a longer life. She said walking involves the use of many bodily functions working in tandem. The heart, lungs, skeletal system and joints, muscles, nerves and brain must all work together to ensure a smooth and consistent speed. Damage to any of these systems could result in walking more slowly, which could signal medical problems. Studenski said that walking speed was a better indicator of longevity than other factors, and that elders who walked at “one metre per second or higher consistently demonstrated survival that was longer than expected by age and sex alone”. She also suggested doctors look more carefully at slow-walking patients.

斯图登斯基博士对老年人步伐和长寿关系进行了解释。她解释到走路需要多个身体机能协调运转。心脏、肺、骨骼、关节、肌肉、神经以及大脑，这些需要同时运转才能保持平缓速率。任何系统损坏都会导致速率减慢，这也有可能是疾病前兆。斯图登斯基认为，比起其它指征，步伐速率是预测寿命的最佳指标，比单拿年龄和性别来说，每秒行走1米或以上的老人更长寿。”她还建议医生对步伐缓慢的病患提高警惕。