Endurance and gait speed relationships with mild cognitive impairment and dementia

• Published in: Alzheimer's & dementia : diagnosis, assessment & disease monitoring assessment & disease monitoring, 2022, Vol.14 (1), p.e12281-n/a
• Main Authors: Windham, Beverly Gwen, Parker, Sara B., Zhu, Xiaoqian, Gabriel, Kelley Pettee, Palta, Priya, Sullivan, Kevin J., Parker, Kirby G., Knopman, David S., Gottesman, Rebecca F., Griswold, Michael E., Mosley, Thomas H.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Alzheimer's disease; Atherosclerosis; Blood pressure; cognition; Cognition & reasoning; Cognitive & Behavioral Assessment; Cognitive ability; Dementia; endurance; Memory; Middle age; mild cognitive impairment; Older people; walking speed
• ISSN: 2352-8729; 2352-8729
• DOI: 10.1002/dad2.12281

Introduction Slower mobility is associated with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and dementia. We examined the interaction of endurance with gait speed on prevalent MCI and dementia. Methods Cross‐sectional multinomial regression in the ARIC cohort (n = 2844 participants; 71 to 94 years; 44% men; 18% Black persons) with cognitive status (normal/MCI/dementia), 4 m gait speed, and endurance (2 minute walk [2MW]). Results Faster gait speed (up to but not above 1 m/s) and better 2MW were separately associated with lower dementia risk. Good performance in both (2MW = 200 m, gait speed = 1.2 m/s) was associated with 99% lower dementia (Relative Prevalence Ratio [RPR] = 0.01 [95% CI: 0.0 to 0.06]) and 73% lower MCI, RPR = 0.27 (0.15 to 0.48) compared to poor performance in both (2MW = 100 m, gait speed = 0.8 m/s). Models incorporating a gait speed‐by‐2MW interaction term outperformed gait speed‐only models (P