Older Adults Who Have Slower Walking Speeds May Have Increased Risk for Dementia

A study published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society found a possible link between slower walking speed and elevated dementia risk among older adults, reports EurekAlert . The researchers analyzed information from the English Longitudinal Study of Aging, which included adults aged 60 and older in Britain, collected from 2002 to 2015. They evaluated participants' walking speed twice in 2002-2003 and in 2004-2005, and whether or not they developed dementia after the tests from 2006-2015. The team then compared the people who had developed dementia with those who had not. Of the almost 4,000 older adults studied, those with a slower walking speed had a higher risk of developing dementia. In addition, people who experienced a faster decline in walking speed over two years were at greater risk for dementia. People who had a poorer ability to think and make decisions when they entered the study, as well as those whose cognitive abilities declined faster during the study, also were more likely to receive a dementia diagnosis. The conclusion was that older adults with slower walking speeds, and those who experienced a greater decline in walking speed over time, were at higher risk for dementia. However, changes in walking speed and changes in an older adult's ability to think and make decisions do not necessarily interrelate to impact dementia risk.