After tests carried out on more than 16,000 people in the United States and Australia, researchers have published their results and explain that the walking speed of an elderly person could be an indicator of the onset of dementia.
A discovery that could help fight dementia. According to a study published by researchers in JAMA Network Open, the speed at which older adults walk could provide an indication of future dementia, reports the New York Post.
To arrive at this finding, researchers evaluated around 16,800 healthy people aged over 65 in the United States and Australia. Spread over a period of seven years, between 2010 and 2017, the tests allowed researchers to establish a link between an individual's walking speed and their state of health.
measure walking speed to prevent dementia
The researchers measured the participants' walking speed and conducted cognitive tests every two years. Those who experienced a decline in walking speed and slower cognitive abilities had a higher risk of dementia, compared to people considered “non-decliners, cognitive decliners only, or gait decliners only,” according to the report.
“The combination of declining memory and slowing gait appears to be a stronger indicator of future dementia risk than decline in either of those things alone,” said Dr. Taya A. Collyer, PhD. , who led the study at Monash University in Australia, told Fox News Digital.
Family members often report that their loved one had changed before a dementia diagnosis, according to Dr. Amy Brodtmann, a neurologist and professor in the Cognitive Health Initiative at Monash University in Australia. “It has long been assumed that slowing walking, thinking and actions is not only a sign of aging, but also of the development of cognitive impairment and dementia,” she said.
The researchers suggested that measuring walking speed could be a useful tool, combined with other screening measures, to help identify people at risk of developing dementia and ensure they receive early testing. and preventive interventions.
