Individuals with weaker muscles appear to have a higher risk for Alzheimer’s disease and declines in cognitive function over time, revealed by the researchers.
The new study is reported in the November issue of Archives of Neurology, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.
Alzheimer’s disease is characterized by declines in memory and other cognitive (thinking, learning and memory) functions, according to background information in the article. However, it is also associated with other features, such as impaired gait and other motor functions, depression and decreased grip strength.
Patricia A. Boyle, Ph.D., and colleagues at Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, studied 970 older adults (average age 80.3) who did not have dementia at their initial evaluation. Each participant underwent a structured initial evaluation that included a medical history, 21 tests of cognitive function, neurologic and neuropsychological evaluations and a composite measure of muscle strength derived from testing in 11 muscle groups. During an average of 3.6 years of f…
Read more Reduced muscle strength increases Alzheimer’s disease risk