British study links walking speed to ageing

Imperial College London researchers are using gait analysis to study whether the way a person walks can reveal signs of ageing, frailty and neurological decline before more obvious symptoms appear. iNews reported on June 3 that the work includes a quick walking assessment designed to capture speed and style as possible indicators of future health. The reporting centered on research engineer Dr Matthew Banger, who works in Imperial’s musculoskeletal lab and uses markerless motion-capture systems to analyze movement. The article said the team sees walking as a possible early screening signal for conditions including dementia. ### What exactly are the scientists measuring when they study someone’s walk? Imperial College’s Biodynamics Laboratory uses motion-analysis equipment including optical systems, force platforms and other tools to study human locomotion, according to the university’s facilities page. Banger’s Imperial profile says his work focuses on biomedical engineering, machine learning and movement analysis, with an emphasis on earlier diagnosis of conditions tied to mobility and joint health. (inews.co.uk) The iNews report described a test in which cameras tracked body movement and produced a real-time skeletal image on screen. Banger told the publication that walking patterns are highly individual and can reflect many underlying factors, from muscle strength to joint stiffness and balance changes. ### Why are doctors interested in walking speed in the first place? A British Geriatrics Society conference document describing the GaitKeeper system called gait speed the “sixth vital sign” in older adults and said it predicts morbidity and functional status. (profiles.imperial.ac.uk) That document reported strong agreement between the mobile tool and established gait-analysis systems, with measurements within 2% variance compared with Vicon in one validation phase. (inews.co.uk) Digital Gait Labs, which markets the GaitKeeper technology, says gait can be used as a digital biomarker to help identify frailty and falls risk earlier. That is a company description rather than an independent clinical guideline, but it reflects the broader push to standardize gait measurement outside specialist labs. ### How is walking linked to dementia risk? Dr Matthew Banger told iNews that in conditions such as dementia or Parkinson’s, “one of the first things that people report is walking or balance changes.” He added that a partner or someone close to the patient may notice a change in walking up to two years before other symptoms appear. (bgs.org.uk) That idea is consistent with published research beyond the Imperial work. (digitalgaitlabs.com) A 2026 paper in *Age and Ageing* said functional decline may be an early indicator of dementia and examined gait-speed trajectories in the 11 years before diagnosis. Earlier cohort studies in English and French populations also found that slower gait speed, and decline in gait speed over time, was associated with a higher risk of incident dementia. ### Is this already a nationwide screening test? (inews.co.uk) The iNews article presented the assessment as a developing tool rather than a routine national screening program. Imperial’s public materials show the work is active in research and demonstration settings, including an Imperial Lates event in January that featured Banger speaking on “How you walk affects how you age.” A February post by Target3D, which featured Banger discussing Imperial’s gait lab, said the research is aimed at detecting subtle irregularities that may indicate current or future health conditions. (academic.oup.com) That description suggests the technology is still being positioned as an early-detection aid, not a standalone diagnosis. ### What happens next for this research? March 2025 conference materials from the British Geriatrics Society show that gait-analysis tools such as GaitKeeper are already being validated in clinical and older-adult settings, including participants with cognitive impairment. (imperial.ac.uk) Imperial’s own work on gait analysis also continues across motion capture, wearable sensors and radar-based monitoring, according to Banger’s publications and related research listings. (target3d.co.uk) June 3 coverage in iNews indicates the immediate next step is broader testing of whether quick walking assessments can be used earlier in routine health checks, with Banger and Imperial College researchers among the named participants in that work. (inews.co.uk) (bgs.org.uk)