Wednesday 1 June 2022 07:37 PM Walking more slowly in older age could be a warning sign for dementia, major ... trends now
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Walking more slowly in old age could be a warning sign for dementia, a major study has suggested.
Researchers from the University of Minnesota and Monash University, Australia, monitored people over 75 years old and found that those who lost 0.05 meters per second from their pace every year and had signs of mental decline were most at risk.
The international team said this was likely because as the the brain declines in the debilitating condition it also affects the areas involved in walking.
About five million Americans have dementia, estimates suggest, with there being no cures for the conditions, just treatments that can ease symptoms.
The above graph shows the incidence of dementia (y axis) since the study began by four groups. These are dual decliners (dark blue line) who had a slower gait and cognition, people with cognitive decline (orange), people with just a slower gait (blue line) and people with neither of the conditions (green line)
Scientists say that walking about five percent slower per year in old age could be a warning sign of dementia (Stock photo)
