The association between walking speed from short- and standard-distance tests with the risk of all-cause mortality among adults with radiographic knee osteoarthritis: data from three large United States cohort studies

Objective: Adults with radiographic knee OA (rKOA) are at increased risk of mortality and walking difficulty may modify this relation. Little is known about specific aspects of walking difficulty that increase mortality risk. We investigated the association of walking speed (objective measure of walking difficulty) with mortality and examined the threshold that best discriminated this risk in adults with rKOA. Methods: Participants with rKOA from the Johnston County Osteoarthritis Project (JoCoOA, longitudinal population-based cohort), Osteoarthritis Initiative and Multicenter Osteoarthritis Study (OAI and MOST, cohorts of individuals with or at high risk of knee OA) were included. Baseline speed was measured via 2.4-meter (m) walk test (short-distance) in JoCoOA and 20-m walk test (standard-distance) in OAI and MOST. To examine the association of walking speed with mortality risk over 9 years, hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated from Cox regression models adjusted for potential confounders. A Maximal Likelihood Ratio Chi-square Approach was utilized to identify an optimal threshold of walking speed predictive of mortality. Results: Deaths after 9 years of follow-up occurred in 23.3% (290/1244) of JoCoOA and 5.9% (249/4215) of OAI + MOST. Walking 0.2 m/s slower during short- and standard-distance walk tests was associated with 23% (aHR [95%CI]; 1.23 [1.10, 1.39]) and 25% (1.25 [1.09, 1.43]) higher mortality risk, respectively. Walking <0.5 m/s on short-distance and <1.2 m/s standard-distance walk tests, best discriminated those with and without mortality risk. Conclusion: Slower walking speed measured via short- and standard-distance walk tests was associated with increased mortality risk in adults with rKOA

Sero-Prevalence Of HIV Antibody Amongst Std Clinic Attenders In Calcutta

Total one thousand one hundred fifty sexually transmitted disease (STD) clinic attendees from different medical colleges and hospitals of Calcutta were examined for HIV antibodies first with ELISA and if positive, were confirmed by western blot. In the first phase, which constituted of four hundred cases from march &#x00E2;&#x20AC;97 to April &#x00E2;&#x20AC;97, 2.25&#x0025; cases showed seropositivity. The second phase which consisted of five hundred cases between September &#x00E2;&#x20AC;97 to October &#x00E2;&#x20AC;97, 2.4&#x0025; cases showed seropositivity. The third phase which consisted of two hundred fifty cases between February &#x00E2;&#x20AC;98 and March &#x00E2;&#x20AC;98, 3.2&#x0025; of cases showed seropositivity. Thus, a slowly but steadily increasing rate of seropositivity to HIV was noted