Dementia, Stroke risk test

Simple Tests May Flag Dementia, Stroke Risk

By Charles Bankhead, Staff Writer, MedPage Today

Published: February 15, 2012

Reviewed by Robert Jasmer, MD; Associate Clinical Professor of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco and Dorothy Caputo, MA, RN, BC-ADM, CDE, Nurse Planner

Action Points

• Note that this study was published as an abstract and presented at a conference. These data and conclusions should be considered to be preliminary until published in a peer-reviewed journal.
• Explain that walking speed and hand-grip strength during middle age correlated with cognitive function and stroke risk in older adults, suggesting simple tests might aid diagnosis of the two conditions.
• Note that grip strength did not influence stroke risk in the overall cohort, but a higher baseline grip strength was associated with a 42% reduction in stroke risk among individuals 65 and older.

NEW ORLEANS -- Walking speed and hand-grip strength during middle age correlated with cognitive function and stroke risk in older adults, suggesting simple tests might aid diagnosis of the two conditions, according to data from a large cohort study.

During 11 years of follow-up, slower walking speed at baseline was associated with a 50% rise in the hazard for dementia. Brain volume and performance on a variety of tests of cognitive function also were significantly lower in slower walkers./.../