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Abstract Objectives Cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) declines with advancing and has also, independent of age, been shown to be predictive of all‐cause mortality, morbidity, and poor clinical outcomes. In relation to the older patient, there is a particular wealth of evidence highlighting the relationship between low CRF and poor surgical outcomes. Cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) is accepted as the gold‐standard measure of CRF. However, this form of assessment has significant personnel and equipment demands and is not feasible for those with certain age‐associated physical limitations, including joint and cardiovascular comorbidities. As such, alternative ways to assess the CRF of older patients are very much needed. Methods Sixty‐four participants (45% female) with a median age of 74 (65–90) years were recruited to this study via community‐based advertisements. All participants completed three tests of physical function: (1) a step‐box test; (2) handgrip strength dynamometry; and (3) a CPET on a cycle ergometer; and also had their muscle architecture (vastus lateralis) assessed by B‐mode ultrasonography to provide measures of muscle thickness, pennation angle, and fascicle length. Multivariate linear regression was then used to ascertain bedside predictors of CPET parameters from the alternative measures of physical function and demographic (age, gender, body mass index (BMI)) data. Results There was no significant association between ultrasound‐assessed parameters of muscle architecture and measures of CRF. VO2peak was predicted to some extent from fast step time during the step‐box test, gender, and BMI, leading to a model that achieved an R2 of 0.40 (p |
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