Scientists at the University of Pittsburgh have found that how tired older people feel after everyday activities could be a warning sign about their future health. Their study showed that older adults who feel very tired or exhausted after doing activities are more likely to pass away within the next few years compared to those who feel less tired.
Earlier research had already suggested that being more physically active could help lower feelings of tiredness. But this new study is the first to clearly show that feeling extremely tired is directly linked to a higher risk of dying earlier. This finding highlights how important it is to pay close attention to how much fatigue older people are feeling.
The researchers used a special tool called the Pittsburgh Fatigability Scale to measure tiredness levels. This scale was created by the University of Pittsburgh in 2014 and has since become well-known around the world. It has been translated into 11 languages and is now widely used in research studies about aging.
In the study, there were 2,906 participants, all aged 60 or older. They were part of a larger project called the Long-Life Family Study. Each person was asked to rate how tired they thought they would feel after doing different activities, such as taking a slow 30-minute walk, doing light housework, or even heavier tasks like gardening.
They rated their expected tiredness on a scale from 0 to 5, where higher numbers meant they expected to feel much more tired.
When the researchers looked at the results, they found a clear pattern. People who scored 25 or higher on the Pittsburgh Fatigability Scale were 2.3 times more likely to die within the next 2.7 years compared to those with lower scores.
This pattern stayed strong even when the researchers considered other things that might affect life expectancy, like existing health conditions or lifestyle habits.
These results show that measuring fatigue could be a simple but powerful way to spot health risks in older adults. Feeling very tired after everyday activities might not just be a normal part of aging—it could be a signal that something more serious is going on.
Paying attention to these feelings could help doctors find health problems earlier and offer treatments that might improve a person’s chances of living longer and healthier.
This study also reminds us how important it is for older adults to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Regular physical activity, eating a balanced diet, and managing health conditions early can all help reduce tiredness and improve overall health. But it also shows that even with a healthy lifestyle, feelings of deep fatigue should not be ignored.
Led by Nancy W. Glynn, the research was published in The Journals of Gerontology: Series A. It offers valuable new insights into how tiredness connects to health and aging. By better understanding and managing fatigue, it may be possible to help older adults live longer, healthier, and more active lives.
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