Foot Sensory Function Decline Associated with Gait Speed Decline and Increase of Falls Risk, Study Finds

​People who experience consistent sensory function decline in their feet are 1.5 times more at risk of falls due to a steeper decline in gait speed when compared with those who have consistent, intact sensation, according to a study published on November 12, 2018, in BMC Geriatrics. The authors of the study analyzed data from the Maintenance of Balance, Independent Living, Intellect, and Zest in the Elderly (MOBILIZE) study conducted in Boston, Massachusetts, that tracked stimulation of the great toe of 351 older adults to identify the relationship between sensory function, gait speed, and risk of falls over a 5-year period.