Poor Lower Extremity Functioning Is Associated with Modest Increased Incidence of Probable Dementia

Lower extremity functioning in older adults provides a measure of poor physical performance and can predict negative health outcomes. The consequences of reduced lower extremity functioning on cognitive decline, measured as time-varying variables, have not been well documented in previous studies. W...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Geriatrics (Basel) 2021-08, Vol.6 (3), p.77
Main Authors: Teruya, Sergio L., Dimino, Cara, Silverman, Kevin D., Mielenz, Thelma
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Aging
Alzheimer's disease
Cognition & reasoning
Cognitive ability
cognitive function
Data collection
Dementia
Education
Ethnicity
Gender
Hispanic people
Memory
Older people
Physical fitness
physical functioning
Population
Short Physical Performance Battery
Trends
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Summary:Lower extremity functioning in older adults provides a measure of poor physical performance and can predict negative health outcomes. The consequences of reduced lower extremity functioning on cognitive decline, measured as time-varying variables, have not been well documented in previous studies. We aimed to evaluate whether lower extremity functioning is associated with an increased incidence rate of probable dementia among older adults using data from the National Health and Aging Trends Study (NHATS). Participants (n = 6457) were followed for 8 years to examine the relationship between lower extremity functioning, as measured by the Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB), and incident probable dementia. Using weighted data, a multivariable Poisson regression with generalized estimating equations (GEE) was used to calculate incidence rate ratios (IRR), adjusting for covariates and clustering. Participants with low SPPB scores (0–5) had a 5% increase in incident probable dementia when compared with those who had good SPPB scores (10–12) in the adjusted model (IRR = 1.05; 95% CI = 1.04–1.07). Lower extremity functioning is associated with a modest increase in incident probable dementia. The SPPB score may be helpful in identifying subjects at risk of dementia. Efforts aimed at improving physical functioning may lead to better cognitive outcomes.
ISSN:2308-3417
2308-3417
DOI:10.3390/geriatrics6030077