A new study revealed that the unusually slow walking of the elderly in the past may be one of the signs of dementiaThe researchers said that if you are old and taking longer to walk than you used to, you should go to your doctor to check your thinking skills, according to the Medical Express website.
The study included nearly 17,000 adults over the age of 65 and found that those who walk 5% or more slower or more each year and also have memory declines are more likely to develop dementia, according to the study, which was published in the journal JAMA Network Open. Taya Collier, a research fellow at the Peninsula Clinical School at Monash University in Australia, said, “These findings highlight the importance of walking in assessing dementia risk.”
The study found an association between slower walking speed, memory decline, and future risk of dementia.
Research suggests that the link between walking speed and decreased mental function may be due to contraction of the right hippocampus, the part of the brain that deals with learning, memories and the ability to find your way, CNN reported.
At the same time, previous studies have also found that aerobic exercises such as brisk walking, running, swimming, cycling and dancing can increase the size of the hippocampus and improve some areas of memory.
Just because someone has something called mild cognitive impairment doesn’t mean they will go on to develop dementia.
Only 10% to 20% of those age 65 and older who have mild cognitive impairment develop dementia within a year, according to the US National Institute on Aging, which also states that in “many cases, symptoms of mild cognitive impairment may remain the same.” Or even get better.
