This "Normal" Sign Of Aging Could Actually Signal Dementia Risk

Here's why this scary finding could prove very helpful for disease prevention.

JimMin

May 7, 2023 - 21:01

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This "Normal" Sign Of Aging Could Actually Signal Dementia Risk

mbg Health Contributor

By Jenny Fant

mbg Health Contributor

Jenny is a San Francisco-based mbg contributor, content designer, and climate & sustainability communications specialist. She is a graduate of the University of California Santa Barbara. An avid open-water swimmer, Jenny has worked for healthy living and nutrition brands like Sun Basket, Gather Around Nutrition, and Territory Foods.

Image by Cavan Images / Getty Images

May 7, 2023

Slowing down with age? That’s to be expected. For most people, growing older means losing strength and speed. This on its own usually isn't cause for concern, but sometimes, physical decline is associated with cognitive decline. Here's what researchers discovered when they looked into how certain strength metrics correlate to dementia in older women.

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Analyzing losses in strength and speed

Researchers at Edith Cowan University (ECU) recently studied over a thousand women around the age of 75 and looked at two speed and strength measurements: grip strength (an important indicator of overall health and longevity) and a metric called “timed up and go," TUG (in which people are timed as they get up from a chair, walk a short distance, and return to the chair 1).

For over 15 years, scientists monitored these women for declines in speed and strength metrics. They found that women with significant declines in these areas were up to twice as likely as their counterparts to have a late-life dementia event (either a dementia-related hospitalization or death).

And while this might sound alarming to anyone getting older or watching their loved ones slow down with age, it is important to remember two things: For starters, some decline in strength and speed is normal for anyone in their 70s, especially if relatively mild. Also, early-stage research and findings like this may help identify early-stage dementia and encourage preventative therapies that can help stave off cognitive decline.

"Incorporating muscle function tests as part of dementia screening could be useful to identify high-risk individuals, who might then benefit from primary prevention programs aimed at preventing the onset of the condition such as a healthy diet and a physically active lifestyle,” study author Marc Sim, Ph.D. said in a statement.

Sim adds that grip strength and TUG tests aren't currently performed in clinical practice, but both are inexpensive and simple assesments that could be introduced as part of dementia screening.

Our minds are top of mind

As Alzheimer’s disease and dementia diagnoses become more common, many of us are looking for ways to protect our brains regardless of our age.

At present, treatment options are drastically more effective when symptoms are caught and diagnoses are made very early on. Prevention and early intervention can make a world of difference, especially with diseases of the brain. Studies like the one done at ECU are helping scientists identify early signs and risk factors, making them incredibly important for slowing down skyrocketing rates of age-related cognitive disease.

While the authors note that these are early findings and will require further validation, they give us another clue about disease prevention.

Our muscles are also known as our "organs of longevity," and this research provides yet another reason to tend to them as we age. It should come as no surprise that regular exercise is a proven prevention prescription for ailments of the mind and body, and dementia seems to be no exception.

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What to do with these findings

Does this mean we all need to run out and buy grandma a shake weight ASAP? Well, not exactly. The takeaway here is that building muscle strength through resistance training and proper nutrition is key for brain health at every age. And once you reach the age of 70 or so, it might be worth talking to your doctor about measuring muscle strength through assessments such as grip tests.

Here are a few other ways to take a proactive approach and tend to your brain through the decades beforehand:

In your 20s: Limit excessive alcohol and cut out tobacco products. Yes, seriously.

In your 30s: Figure out what memory-supportive foods and supplements fit best into your routine and lifestyle. Here's a master list of daily supplements that are packed with brain-supporting ingredients. Check in on your vitamin D levels, too, as they've been tied to Altheimer's risk.

In your 40s: Take stock of your stressors. With life’s responsibilities likely piling up to an all-time high, make sure to make time for yourself and incorporate proven stress-reducing techniques daily like taking time to breathe.

In your 50s: Get more serious about hormone health. In women especially, the time before, during, and shortly after menopause can be important in assessing your Alzheimer’s risk.

In your 60s: Embrace your social life. Americans over 65 are at high risk for loneliness—and science has proven that a healthy social life and meaningful connection can be huge in helping to prevent cognitive decline. Look into community groups and clubs to stay regularly social and reach out to the most important people in your life often.

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The takeaway

Specific markers in physical decline may be warning signs of cognitive decline. Scientists have found decreased grip strength and TUG (timed up and go) to be meaningful indicators of later dementia onset in women in their 70s. Hopefully, this type of predictive measurement can help move preventative treatment forward. And in the meantime, there are plenty of proactive lifestyle steps to take during every decade in life to decrease your risk for dementia and cognitive decline.