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Dementia: can walking speed predict risk?

Slower walking speed and a greater decline in speed over time may indicate a greater risk of developing dementia, independent of changes in cognition.

The findings come from the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing which included 3932 individuals aged 60 years and older. Among participants, walking speed and cognition were assessed at timepoints in 2002-03 (Wave 1) and 2004-05 (Wave 2). New dementia cases were assessed from 2006-07 (Wave 3) to 2014-15 (Wave 7).

The results, published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, show that those with faster baseline walking speeds were 64% less likely to develop dementia (HR, 0.36; 95% CI, 0.22-0.60). Those with a greater decline in walking speed from Wave 1 to 2 were at greater risk of developing dementia (HR, 1.23; 95% CI, 1.03-1.47). Change in walking speed and change in cognition did not have an interactive effect on dementia risk.

The work was funded by the UK Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) and the National Institute for Health Research.


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