新奇事件簿 走路快是长寿的迹象（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."

一项最新发布的研究披露，老年时走路快是长寿的标志。《美国医学会杂志》上这份报告分析了来自9份调查，包括34485名老年公民的数据。研究的参加者在21年的时间内定期接受测试。研究人员查看了65岁以上的老人走路速度和长寿之间的关系。他们得出结论，老年人走路速度越快，他们的预期寿命越长。首席研究人员Stephanie Studenski博士表示：“这是人类经验的一部分，当一个人随着年长走路速度慢下来的时候，他们的身体状况可能不像以前那么好。”

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.

Studenski博士解释了为何老年人的走路速度是长寿的标志。她表示，走路需要身体许多功能协同行动。心，肺，骨骼系统，关节，肌肉，神经和大脑必须一起工作，确保速度流畅，一致。这些系统中的任何一个出现损伤都会导致走路速度变慢，意味着身体出现问题。Studenski博士说，走路速度比其他指标更好地反映寿命的情况。每秒钟走一米以上的老年人比仅仅看年龄或性别能够更好地表明长寿。她还表示，医生应该更关注走路慢的病人。