Walking speed and dementia

2022 - 6 - 1

Post cover
Image courtesy of "MedPage Today"

Walking Speed Helps Predict Future Dementia (MedPage Today)

Dual decline in gait speed and cognition tied to higher dementia risk.

Gait decline was defined as a drop in speed of at least 0.05 meters/second/year across the study. Cognitive decline was defined as the the lowest tertile of annual change. "Gait speed is quick to measure and only requires a measured distance and a stopwatch," she pointed out. ASPREE participants also were healthier than many older adults, and results might not apply to other populations. A recent exploratory study suggested Alzheimer's and Lewy body disease have unique signatures of gait impairment that may reflect underlying pathology, for example. "It's important to identify at-risk individuals early to address modifiable risk factors for dementia prevention and start new treatments as they become available."

Post cover
Image courtesy of "Martha Stewart"

Walking Slower Than Normal May Be a Sign of Dementia, According ... (Martha Stewart)

To obtain their findings, the researchers followed nearly 17,000 adult participants for seven years to observe their gait and cognitive function.

The researchers found that people with the highest risk of dementia exhibited dual decline, meaning their walking speed and cognitive measures worsened over the course of the study. A new study published Tuesday in the journal JAMA Network Open found that a decline in walking speed year over year may be a sign of slower mental processing and can be an early indicator that you're at risk for developing dementia. In addition to measuring gait, each subject's cognitive function was also recorded.

Post cover
Image courtesy of "pennlive.com"

Your walking speed could be an early indicator of dementia (pennlive.com)

Ever paid attention to the way you walk? Whether you tend to walk at a faster rate or a slower pace, it's worth keeping an eye on as it could tell you ...

Post cover
Image courtesy of "UPI.com"

Slower walking speed associated with higher risk of dementia (UPI.com)

If you're a senior and walking to the mailbox takes longer than it used to, new research suggests you might want to ask your doctor to check your thinking ...

And just because someone has what's called mild cognitive impairment (MCI) doesn't mean they'll go on to develop dementia. Only 10% to 20% of those 65 and older with MCI develop dementia within a year, according to the U.S. National Institute on Aging, which also states that in "many cases, the symptoms of MCI may stay the same or even improve." The findings echo those of a 2020 study of nearly 9,000 U.S. adults that found an association between slowed walking speed and memory decline and future risk of dementia.

Post cover
Image courtesy of "WLS-TV"

Your walking speed could indicate dementia, according to large ... (WLS-TV)

Emerging research in small groups of elderly subjects has also found that a slower gait from year to year may be an early sign of cognitive decline. That may be ...

Every other year, people in the study were asked to take cognitive tests that measured overall cognitive decline, memory, processing speed and verbal fluency. Types of aerobic exercise can include brisk walking, swimming, running, biking, dancing and kickboxing, as well as all the cardio machines at your local gym, such as a treadmill, elliptical trainer, rower or stair climber. Now, a large, new study of nearly 17,000 adults over age 65 finds people who walk about 5% slower or more each year while also exhibiting signs of slower mental processing were most likely to develop dementia. Every other year, people in the study were asked to take cognitive tests that measured overall cognitive decline, memory, processing speed and verbal fluency. Types of aerobic exercise can include brisk walking, swimming, running, biking, dancing and kickboxing, as well as all the cardio machines at your local gym, such as a treadmill, elliptical trainer, rower or stair climber. A slower walk as you age has always been a warning sign of increasing frailty that could lead to falls and other disabilities, experts say.

Post cover
Image courtesy of "WABC-TV"

Your walking speed could indicate dementia, according to large ... (WABC-TV)

Emerging research in small groups of elderly subjects has also found that a slower gait from year to year may be an early sign of cognitive decline. That may be ...

Every other year, people in the study were asked to take cognitive tests that measured overall cognitive decline, memory, processing speed and verbal fluency. Types of aerobic exercise can include brisk walking, swimming, running, biking, dancing and kickboxing, as well as all the cardio machines at your local gym, such as a treadmill, elliptical trainer, rower or stair climber. Now, a large, new study of nearly 17,000 adults over age 65 finds people who walk about 5% slower or more each year while also exhibiting signs of slower mental processing were most likely to develop dementia. Every other year, people in the study were asked to take cognitive tests that measured overall cognitive decline, memory, processing speed and verbal fluency. Types of aerobic exercise can include brisk walking, swimming, running, biking, dancing and kickboxing, as well as all the cardio machines at your local gym, such as a treadmill, elliptical trainer, rower or stair climber. A slower walk as you age has always been a warning sign of increasing frailty that could lead to falls and other disabilities, experts say.

Post cover
Image courtesy of "Daily Mail"

Walking more slowly in older age could be a warning sign for ... (Daily Mail)

American and Australian scientists tracked 75-year-olds for almost a decade and found those who lost 0.05 meters per second from their gait per year and had ...

The above graph shows the incidence of dementia (y axis) since the study began by four groups. This showed the former were at a similar risk of the illness to those with no decline (27 cases, or one percent). In the latter group there were 158 cases diagnosed, equivalent to 3.9 percent of the group. In the latest paper — from American and Australian scientists — experts found that a decline in gait speed of 0.05 m/s or more a year coupled with cognitive decline was a warning sign of dementia. The scientists also looked at participants who had declines in just walking speed and just cognition. These are dual decliners (dark blue line) who had a slower gait and cognition, people with cognitive decline (orange), people with just a slower gait (blue line) and people with neither of the conditions (green line) In the paper the cognition and walking speed of 17,000 older adults was tracked for seven years.

Explore the last week