Weak handgrip may warn of cognitive impairment

  • A large study finds weaker handgrip strength is associated with a progressively greater risk of developing severe cognitive impairment.
  • Another large long-running study similarly finds slow walking speeds and weak grip strength is associated with a greater risk of developing Alzheimer's disease.
  • Weaker grip strength, in those older than 65, was also linked to a higher risk of stroke.

A large study, involving nearly 14,000 older adults (50+) participating in the 2006 Health and Retirement Study, found that weaker handgrip strength was associated with a greater risk of developing cognitive impairment, especially severe impairment, over the eight-year study period.

Moreover, there was a dose-response type relationship, with every 5-kilogram (11-pound) reduction in handgrip strength being associated with a 10% greater risk of cognitive impairment and an 18% greater risk of severe cognitive impairment.

Handgrip strength was assessed with a hand-held dynamometer, and cognitive function with a modified Mini-Mental State Examination.

It’s suggested that reduced grip strength is associated with neural degeneration, but that maintaining your physical strength will protect you.

Data from the very long-running Framingham Heart Study also found that those who had slow walking speeds and weak grip strength had a significantly greater risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease in the next 11 years. Additionally, those older than 65 years had a higher risk of stroke if their hand grip strength was weak.

Participants were aged 35-84. Walking speed was assessed by walking a certain distance as fast as they could without running.

https://www.futurity.org/handgrip-cognitive-impairment-2141932-2/http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2016-08/bumc-sra081016.phphttps://www.j-alz.com/content/study-reveals-association-between-physical-function-and-neurological-disease

Reference: 

McGrath, R., Robinson-Lane, S. G., Cook, S., Clark, B. C., Herrmann, S., O’Connor, M. L., & Hackney, K. J. (2019). Handgrip Strength Is Associated with Poorer Cognitive Functioning in Aging Americans. Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease, 70(4), 1187–1196. https://doi.org/10.3233/JAD-190042

Related News

Dementia trend shows later onset with fewer years of the disease

A large study using data from the famous Framingham Heart Study has compared changes in dementia onset over the last three decades. The study found that over time the age of onset has increased while the length of time spent with dementia has decreased.
Daily crosswords linked to sharper brain in later life

Data from more than 17,000 healthy people aged 50 and over has revealed that the more regularly participants engaged with word puzzles, the better they performed on tasks assessing attention, reasoning and memory.
How risky is surgery for older adults' cognitive function?

Unplanned hospitalizations accelerate cognitive decline in older adults

Data from the Rush Memory and Aging Project has found that emergency and urgent hospitalizations are associated with an increased rate of cognitive decline in older adults.
Greater muscle strength = better cognitive function

A Finnish study involving 338 older adults (average age 66) has found that greater muscle strength is associated with better cognitive function.
Rapid blood pressure drops in middle age linked to dementia in old age

Data from over 11,500 participants in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) cohort has found evidence that orthostatic hypotension in middle age may increase the risk of cognitive impairment and dementia 20 years later.
Both aerobic exercise & strength training improves older brains

A review of 39 studies investigating the effect of exercise on cognition in older adults (50+) confirms that physical exercise does indeed improve cognitive function in the over 50s, regardless of their cognitive status.
Spatial impairment early sign of Alzheimer’s

A Canadian study involving 40 older adults (59-81), none of whom were aware of any major memory problems, has found that those scoring below 26 on the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) dementia screening test also showed shrinking of the anterolateral

Aerobic exercise preserves brain volume and improves cognition in those with MCI

A study involving 35 adults with

One in 4 elderly Australian women have dementia

In Australia, it has beens estimated that 9% of people aged over 65, and 30% of those aged over 85 have dementia. However, these estimates are largely based on older data from other countries, or small local samples.
Smell tests provide early evidence of dementia

In the past few months, several studies have come out showing the value of three different tests of people's sense of smell for improving the accuracy of

Pages

more
Subscribe to Latest newsSubscribe to Latest newsSubscribe to Latest health newsSubscribe to Latest news