Risk of Diabetes from Mobility Scooters

Thursday 4th March 2010

The use of mobility scooters for many elderly people have become a gratefully received mode of transport, with the journey to the shop becoming so much easier. With an estimated 90,000 mobility scooters in the UK alone their usefulness is evident. However, following recent research conducted in Ohio in the United States, by using these scooters, the users could be putting themselves at risk of diabetes and heart disease.

The American Journal of Cardiology has revealed shocking statistics in relation to the use of mobility scooters and the elderly. The team investigated a group of 102 patients of an average age of 68 over a period of six years and all of them had received medical suggestions to have a mobility scooter. Over the six years it was found that the group used their scooters for four hours on average each day and spent a shocking thirty minutes a day walking. When questioned the patients felt numerous benefits from using the mobility scooters, both in physical aspects and mental. However, their health analysis said otherwise with nearly 20% of them developing diabetes over the period the study was conducted. Additionally, one fifth of the patients also needed increased strength blood pressure tablets and half of the patients who were taking satins also had to have increased amounts to control these levels.

Even though the scooters evidently have a positive impact on elderly people’s lives, enabling them to venture out further, the researchers of this project are warning that further advice needs giving to the patients who are approved medically to obtain a scooter. Unfortunately, the cardiovascular risk involved with the use of scooters needs emphasising as patients should be keeping levels of physical activity as high as possible alongside using their scooter.

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