JAMA Netw Open: Stop-and-go elderly with slow gait reduces risk of cognitive impairment

In older adults, slow walking is an early indicator of Alzheimer's disease (AD) risk
.

However, studies evaluating this association have not taken into account that there may be different reasons for slow walking, some of which are not necessarily associated with higher AD risk

Qu Tian et al.
recently published research in the journal JAMA Netw Open evaluating whether low activity fragmentation in older adults with slow gait is a neural cause of slow walking, putting these individuals at higher risk for AD
.

JAMA

Participants in this prospective cohort study included 520 initially cognitively normal individuals aged 60 years or older
.

New diagnoses of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) or AD were adjudicated during a mean (SD) follow-up of 7.

diagnosis

A conceptual framework for slow walking speed and future Alzheimer's disease (AD) risk

A conceptual framework for slow walking speed and future Alzheimer's disease (AD) risk

Of 520 participants (265 women [51.
0%]; 125 black participants [24.
0%]; 367 white participants [70.
6%]; mean [SD] age, 73 [8] years), 64 Participants had MCI/AD
.

For every 0.

For every 0.

Correlation of baseline gait speed with low-level and high-level activity segments and future risk of mild cognitive impairment / Alzheimer's disease (MCI/AD)

Correlation of baseline gait speed with low-level and high-level activity segments and future risk of mild cognitive impairment / Alzheimer's disease (MCI/AD)

At low activity fragmentation (-1SD), every 0.
05 m/s slower in gait speed was associated with a 19% increased risk of MCI/AD (HR, 1.
19 [95% CI, 1.
07-1.
32]), while at higher Activity fragmentation (+1SD), gait speed was not associated with MCI/AD (HR, 1.
01 [95% CI, 0.
93-1.
10])
.

In participants with a slow gait, higher activity fragmentation was associated with a higher odds of lower extremity osteoarthritis (odds ratio, 1.

At low activity fragmentation (-1SD), every 0.

Frequent resting in older adults with slow gait is associated with a lower risk of future MCI/AD, and this behavioral strategy is associated with a lower likelihood of subclinical neurological impairment .

Tian Q, Studenski SA, An Y, et al.

Tian Q, Studenski SA, An Y, et al.
Association of Combined Slow Gait and Low Activity Fragmentation With Later Onset of Cognitive Impairment.
  JAMA Netw Open.
 2021;4(11):e2135168.
doi:10.
1001/jamanetworkopen.
2021.
35168 Tian Q , Studenski SA, An Y, et al.
Association of Combined Slow Gait and Low Activity Fragmentation With Later Onset of Cognitive Impairment.
  JAMA Netw Open.
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