Longevity & AgingBlack Older Adults Walk Slower Due to Weaker Mitochondria and Lower Fitness, Not Just Socioeconomics
The SOMMA study examined 879 adults aged 70+ and found that older individuals who identify as Black walk significantly slower than matched White peers, even after controlling for age, BMI, muscle mass, physical activity, and socioeconomic factors. Using propensity score matching, researchers identified that lower mitochondrial respiration (Max OXPHOS) in skeletal muscle and lower cardiorespiratory fitness (VO2 peak) were key biological contributors to this mobility gap. These findings suggest that racial disparities in late-life mobility have a meaningful biological component involving muscle energy metabolism, independent of socioeconomic disadvantage, and may point toward targeted interventions to reduce health inequities in aging.
