Live fast, die old say scientists

Older people who live life in the fast lane are likely to survive longer than slow coaches, research suggests.

A study has shown that walking speed among people in their seventies is strongly linked to life expectancy.

Those who walk at a brisk pace significantly outlive the more sluggish.

Walking speed could provide a useful indicator of general health, and a way to identify individuals with a heightened risk of early death, say scientists from the University of Pittsburgh who carried out the study.