LONDON — How fast you walk in your elder years may be more than just a sign of your mobility. It can indicate brain health, too. A new study finds that older adults who walk slowly are more likely to develop dementia.
Researchers from the University College London and University of Nottingham examined data from 3,932 adults over 60 who had participated in the English Longitudinal Study of Aging. The authors recorded the participants’ walking speeds on two occasions in 2002-2003 and in 2004-2005. They then checked to see if those individuals had been diagnosed with dementia during annual follow-up assessments between 2006 and 2015.
After comparing results, the authors noticed an uptick in dementia cases among participants who were measured as slower walkers. This was especially true for individuals who showed a faster drop in their walking speeds between testing periods. That is, those who had the most significant declines in speed over the two years when they were measured proved to be at a greater risk for the condition.
Interestingly, the researchers also noticed it wasn’t just the speed of one’s pace that indicated dementia risk. They found that participants who were slower in their thought process when it came to decision-making during the testing periods were also more prone to developing the condition later on. And just like those who showed a greater decline in walking speed during the two-year testing period were at a higher risk, so too were individuals who also had faster declines in their cognitive abilities.
Despite the findings, the authors couldn’t conclude that a decline in walking speed was necessarily connected to a decline in cognitive functioning.
According to the World Health Organization, it’s estimated that 47 million people across the globe suffer from dementia. That number is expected to balloon to 75 million by 2030.
The full study was published March 6, 2018 in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.
After many years of reading about ‘studies’, I have come to the conclusion that most are unmitigated rubbish
If there are two possible outcomes given a particular scenario one is almost always going to triumph over the other. This is a given and proves nothing. Cause and effect is not present or proven.
These studies are important in that our tax dollars couldn’t possibly go to anything more useful. Plus we don’t want to keep the money ourselves do we?
Sarc??! I hope.
What the article fails to point out is that dementia causes people to slow their pace… but reads as if fast walking in old age might prevent dementia. If that’s true, I’m running everywhere from now on…
I forgot what I was going to type, is that bad?
HEADLINE: Lazy bastards losing their minds
Do their legs have any muscle on them or not? Do my muscular legs have anything to do with that? Do they sit on their fanny all day and rarely walk anyway? Have they ever been on a bicycle in their entire life or not? So many expensive studies to finance and so little money
“Despite the findings, the authors couldn’t conclude that a decline in walking speed was necessarily connected to a decline in cognitive functioning.” Exactly. Correlation is not causation. SMH…
In other news; “Your Age May Be Tied To Your Dementia Risk, Warn Researchers” or “Your Diet May Be Tied To Your Dementia Risk, Warn Researchers” or perhaps, “Your Genetics May Be Tied To Your Dementia Risk, Warn Researchers”. I assume its safe to say that the researchers at the University College London and University of Nottingham received tax payer funding for this groundbreaking study?
So if you don’t know why or where you walking – you tend to take your time and hence walk slower.
My buddies wife got dementia…..she is small and could out walk most people with her speed..!!
You should publish this. There’s a whole world outside this thread that must be made aware of your findings.
President Harry Truman was known for his fast walking. There was a photo of him with a group of reporters, one of whom, a cameraman, was on roller skates in order to keep ahead of him.
So by this criteria Steven Hawking had dementia ? I would think a better criteria would be to evaluate the reason for a slower pace. This is such a bogus study.
This has to go into the category of junk science.
I was thinking about this as I walked, now I cant remember what I thought. Wait…where am I?
DUH!
Get into classical music. Recent French study shows development of brain cells from regular exposure. This has to do with harmonic resonance therapy. It’s not that other types of music can’t do that, but you would have it more in classical since much of the material has sustained tones and a wider variety of tone combinations from full orchestra. One example that highly speaks in favor of this theory is the conductor Bernark Haitink. He has just turned 89 and is still booked all over the world including the conducting of Mahler symphonies. He is booked for the Chicago Symphony in October. 89. Listen to Mahler, available all over YouTube.
Screw classical. Become a rock n roll star – Mick Jagger can strut and jump for 2 hours, no problem. And he remembers all the words!
I have not excluded rock. I love Metallica. Have you tried classical? Have you tried Mahler?
Another hypothesis that might be worth studying is whether sick people stand up less often than other people. I’m willing to study this for a mere $10 million.
I’ll do the study for $5 million. And I can have the conclusion for you by next Tuesday, provided you give me the cash up front.
So they are out there measureing walkin speeds ? Doubtful… as is the entire article
I’m confused. Is it that they are choosing to walk slow or that they naturally walk slow?
You are right. A very sloppy article.
True…and a great example of how many pseudo-correlative conclusions become facts.
Didn’t even give an actual speed.
And maybe those who walk ‘slow’ have impediments that govern their speed.
Again…sloppy article!
or whether slow walking is an early sign of dementia or a cause of dementia
I think everyone expressing criticism of this type is missing the implication of this line from the article: “Despite the findings, the authors couldn’t conclude that a decline in walking speed was necessarily connected to a decline in cognitive functioning.” I don’t know how the article could have been more explicit in expressing that the findings reflected a mere correlation.
“Your Walking Speed May Be Tied To Your Dementia Risk, Warn Researchers” gee I don’t know either
Your incoherent posting is making me read s l o w. . .
So also are they claiming that there is a correlation or cause and effect between arthritis and dementia? Oh great. my bad knees that make it difficult to walk long and fast is going to mean dementia? /sigh so little info in this “study”
I am walking slower and I forget what I was going to say……………….
So, people in better physical condition age better?
DUH!
so you’re attributing walking pace to physical conditioning? Is it a fact that they’re correlated?
If you even have to ask that, you are probably fat and showing signs of dementia. Seek medical help!
Slow walkers are usually fat and lazy folk killing themselves with a knife and fork with an aversion to health and wellness. Slow walkers also love CNN…..