The phrase “Slow
and steady wins the race” may not apply to all seniors. According to a research
published in the journal Neurology, speed
of walking in elderly people may indicate their probability of developing
Alzheimer’s disease.
Slow walking
is very common in elderly, but a research from France indicates it may be a
sign of Alzheimer’s onset.
According to
Dr. Laura Phipps of the Alzheimer’s Research UK, while Alzheimer’s disease is
associated with forgetfulness and confusion, there may be other physical
symptoms like mobility problems which may indicate Alzheimer’s.
The research
team led by Natalia del Campo, PhD, of the Gerontopole and the Center of
Excellence in Neurodegeneration of Toulouse, in France, concluded that a slower
pace of walking may be associated with the amount of beta amyloid Alzheimer’s
patients have accumulated in their brains, even if the external symptoms of
Alzheimer’s aren’t yet present in them.
The accumulated
clumps of beta-amyloid are known as amyloid plaques. Amyloid plaques are
considered one of the hallmarks of Alzheimer’s disease. Scientists believe
build-up of amyloid plaques in and around hippocampus are responsible for the
death of brain cells, which triggers the disease.
Alzheimer’s
is the most common cause of dementia, accounting for about 60-70% of all
dementia cases. The most common early symptom is short-term memory loss.
Alzheimer’s
has been recently ranked as the sixth leading cause of death in the United
States. An estimated 5.3 million Americans of all ages have Alzheimer’s.
Around
800,000 people in UK are affected by the disease.
Age is one
of the risk factors of Alzheimer’s. People over the age of 70 are at a higher
risk of developing Alzheimer’s.
PET (Positron Emission Tomography) scans were performed on the participants' brains |
The team
studied 128 seniors whose average age was 76 years, and were deemed at high
risk of developing dementia because of their memory problems.
PET (Positron
Emission Tomography) scans on their brains showed that 48% of them had amyloid levels
often linked with dementia. Their cognitive skills and their ability to
complete day-to-day activities were also tested.
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Of the
participants, 46% had mild cognitive decline, which may indicate the start of
dementia that arises in Alzheimer’s.
The
participants’ walking speed was measured using a standard test that measures
the time of how fast they walk approximately 13 feet at their own speed. The
average walking speed of the seniors was 3.48 feet/second (2.3 miles/hour). All
except 2 of the participants had normal walking speed.
The
researcher discovered that amyloid levels accounted for up to 9 percent of the
differentiation in the speed of walking. They found a connection between slow
walking and amyloid in several parts of the brain, including putamen, a crucial
area of the brain involved in motor function. The seniors who walked more
slowly had greater accumulation of the protein amyloid. [এই ৭টি খাবার
আপনাকে ওজন কমাতে সাহায্য
করবে ]
There was no
changes in connections between levels of amyloid and speed of walking, when
their age, level of education or level of memory problems were taken into
account.
Dr. del
Campo says that it is possible that experiencing subtle walking disturbances
along with memory concerns may indicate Alzheimer’s disease, even before any
clinical symptoms are displayed. [Read more 7 Foods
That Will Help You Lose Weight]
Del Campo
notes, however, that the study only shows a link between amyloid and speed of
walking but it does not prove that amyloid accumulation is the cause of slow
walking. There are many factors that cause older people to walk slowly.
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