In a new study from the University of Edinburgh, researchers found a combination of slow walking and difficulties with memory could be associated with double the risk of developing dementia in later life.
People with Motoric Cognitive Risk (MCR)—a syndrome that involves slow walking speed and self-reported memory difficulties—are also at increased risk of cognitive impairment and experience higher death risk.
The study hopes the findings will lead to walking speed being routinely assessed when patients are examined for early signs of dementia.
In the study, the team analyzed the data of almost 50,000 people aged 60 years and older with MCR across 15 studies.
A participant met the criteria for MCR if they walked significantly slower than people of a similar age and sex, and had noticed issues with their memory.
Experts found that people with MCR were more than twice as likely to develop dementia and were at a 76 percent increased risk of cognitive impairment—trouble remembering, concentrating or learning new information—than people without MCR.
The team also found that the risk of mortality for people with MCR was 49 percent higher than those without it, and the risk of falls was 38 percent greater.
Researchers caution that because this was a pooling of observational studies, it was not possible to establish whether MCR causes these outcomes or is simply a risk factor for them.
Globally, 50 million people live with dementia, a number that is predicted to triple in the next 30 years.
The team says it is quick, cheap, and easy to check for MCR. Adding it to the assessment of people with memory problems could be a practical way to help doctors identify patients at risk of developing dementia.
Importantly, the findings remained after taking into account other factors such as age and education level, as well as a past history of depression, stroke or heart attacks.
If you care about dementia risk, please read studies about 12 things that can prevent dementia, and blood test that can predict dementia, Alzheimer’s 5 years early.
For more information about dementia, please see recent studies that COVID-related brain damage more likely in these people, and results showing keeping your brain active may delay Alzheimer’s dementia 5 years.
The study is published in Alzheimer’s & Dementia and was conducted by Dr. Donncha Mullin et al.
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