A new study from the University of Pittsburgh has found that older adults who feel very tired after doing everyday tasks are more likely to pass away within a few years.
This research highlights how fatigue might be an early warning sign of serious health issues in older people.
The researchers focused on how tired people aged 60 or older felt after doing different physical activities, like walking or doing chores. They used a special tool called the Pittsburgh Fatigability Scale, which was created by the University of Pittsburgh in 2014.
This scale helps measure how tired someone expects to feel after doing certain tasks. It is now used all over the world and has been translated into 11 languages.
Nearly 3,000 older adults took part in the study. They were part of the Long-Life Family Study, which tracks the health and lifespan of family members.
Each participant was asked to rate how tired they would feel after doing activities such as a 30-minute walk, gardening, or light housework. They rated their expected fatigue on a scale from 0 (not tired at all) to 5 (completely exhausted).
After looking at the data, the researchers found that people who had high fatigue scores—25 or more—were 2.3 times more likely to die within the next few years than people with lower scores. On average, those who scored high on fatigue passed away about 2.7 years after reporting their tiredness.
This finding is important because many people think feeling tired is just a normal part of aging. But this study shows that feeling extremely tired after light activity might be a sign of hidden health problems. It’s not just about being tired—it’s about being more tired than expected for your age and level of activity.
Earlier studies have shown that staying active can help reduce fatigue. This new research goes further by showing that when older people still feel very tired even after light activities, it may mean they’re at higher risk of dying sooner.
Although the study did not test treatments directly, it suggests that regular physical activity and a healthy diet might help reduce tiredness and improve health. Taking care of your health in these ways could lead to a longer and healthier life.
One of the most useful parts of this research is the Pittsburgh Fatigability Scale itself. Doctors could use this simple tool to check how tired their older patients feel. This might help spot health problems early and give doctors a chance to recommend helpful lifestyle changes—like more exercise or better nutrition.
In short, this study is a reminder that feeling very tired may be more than just aging—it could be a sign of serious health issues. By paying attention to fatigue and taking steps to manage it, older adults and their caregivers may help prevent bigger problems in the future.
The study was led by Dr. Nancy W. Glynn and published in The Journals of Gerontology: Series A. It shows how something as simple as feeling tired can give us important clues about our health.
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