Walking Speed Could Be an Indicator of Dementia, , New Study Finds.
The study was conducted by researchers in Australia and published in the journal 'JAMA Network Open' on May 31.
It found a connection between slower walking as a person ages and the possibility of developing dementia.
The large study assessed the gait of close to 17,000 people over the age of 65.
For people who walked at least 5 percent slower from year to year.
The study found that they also seemed to experience slower cognitive processing.
Researchers refer to the combination of symptoms as "dual decliners.".
In addition, these people who exhibited dual decliners were the ones in the study most likely to develop dementia.
These results highlight the importance of gait in dementia risk assessment, Taya Collyer, Study Co-Author, via CNN.
Dual decliners had a higher risk of dementia than those with either gait or cognitive decline alone, Dr. Joe Verghese, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, via CNN.
Despite the findings of this study and related studies published in the past five years, gait is usually excluded from cognitive assessments.
Gait dysfunction has not been considered an early clinical feature in patients with Alzheimer’s disease, Dr. Joe Verghese, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, via CNN.
Some experts say that signs of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) do not necessarily equate to the onset of dementia.
In many cases, the symptoms of MCI may stay the same or even improve, National Institute on Aging, via CNN.
These health experts say that exercise could reverse the trend toward dementia
