CONTEXT: Evidence suggests that physical activity may be related to the clinical expression of dementia. Whether the association includes low-intensity activity such as walking is not known. OBJECTIVE: To examine the association between walking and future risk of dementia in older men. DESIGN: Prospective cohort study. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: Distance walked per day was assessed from 1991 to 1993 in 2257 physically capable men aged 71 to 93 years in the Honolulu-Asia Aging Study. Follow-up for incident dementia was based on neurological assessment at 2 repeat examinations (1994-1996 and 1997-1999). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Overall dementia, Alzheimer disease, and vascular dementia. RESULTS: During the course of follow-up, 158 cases of dementia were identified (15.6/1000 person-years). After adjusting for age, men who walked the least (<0.25 mile/d) experienced a 1.8-fold excess risk of dementia compared with those who walked more than 2 mile/d (17.8 vs 10.3/1000 person-years; relative hazard [RH], 1.77; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.04-3.01). Compared with men who walked the most (>2 mile/d), an excess risk of dementia was also observed in those who walked 0.25 to 1 mile/d (17.6 vs 10.3/1000 person-years; RH, 1.71; 95% CI, 1.02-2.86). These associations persisted after accounting for other factors, including the possibility that limited amounts of walking could be the result of a decline in physical function due to preclinical dementia. CONCLUSIONS: Findings suggest that walking is associated with a reduced risk of dementia. Promoting active lifestyles in physically capable men could help late-life cognitive function.
CONTEXT: Evidence suggests that physical activity may be related to the clinical expression of dementia. Whether the association includes low-intensity activity such as walking is not known. OBJECTIVE: To examine the association between walking and future risk of dementia in older men. DESIGN: Prospective cohort study. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: Distance walked per day was assessed from 1991 to 1993 in 2257 physically capable men aged 71 to 93 years in the Honolulu-Asia Aging Study. Follow-up for incident dementia was based on neurological assessment at 2 repeat examinations (1994-1996 and 1997-1999). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Overall dementia, Alzheimer disease, and vascular dementia. RESULTS: During the course of follow-up, 158 cases of dementia were identified (15.6/1000 person-years). After adjusting for age, men who walked the least (<0.25 mile/d) experienced a 1.8-fold excess risk of dementia compared with those who walked more than 2 mile/d (17.8 vs 10.3/1000 person-years; relative hazard [RH], 1.77; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.04-3.01). Compared with men who walked the most (>2 mile/d), an excess risk of dementia was also observed in those who walked 0.25 to 1 mile/d (17.6 vs 10.3/1000 person-years; RH, 1.71; 95% CI, 1.02-2.86). These associations persisted after accounting for other factors, including the possibility that limited amounts of walking could be the result of a decline in physical function due to preclinical dementia. CONCLUSIONS: Findings suggest that walking is associated with a reduced risk of dementia. Promoting active lifestyles in physically capable men could help late-life cognitive function.
Authors: Philippa J Clarke; Jennifer A Ailshire; James S House; Jeffrey D Morenoff; Katherine King; Robert Melendez; Kenneth M Langa Journal: J Epidemiol Community Health Date: 2011-04-22 Impact factor: 3.710
Authors: Renée F A G de Bruijn; Elisabeth M C Schrijvers; Karen A de Groot; Jacqueline C M Witteman; Albert Hofman; Oscar H Franco; Peter J Koudstaal; Mohammad Arfan Ikram Journal: Eur J Epidemiol Date: 2013-02-06 Impact factor: 8.082
Authors: Laura F Defina; Benjamin L Willis; Nina B Radford; Ang Gao; David Leonard; William L Haskell; Myron F Weiner; Jarett D Berry Journal: Ann Intern Med Date: 2013-02-05 Impact factor: 25.391
Authors: Jennifer R Cracchiolo; Takashi Mori; Stanley J Nazian; Jun Tan; Huntington Potter; Gary W Arendash Journal: Neurobiol Learn Mem Date: 2007-08-21 Impact factor: 2.877
Authors: Christina L Bell; Randi Chen; Kamal Masaki; Priscilla Yee; Qimei He; John Grove; Timothy Donlon; J David Curb; D Craig Willcox; Leonard W Poon; Bradley J Willcox Journal: J Am Geriatr Soc Date: 2014-04-29 Impact factor: 5.562