Walking and dementia in physically capable elderly men.

Abbott RD, White LR, Ross GW, Masaki KH, Curb JD, Petrovitch H
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.

ETTING 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>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.

National Library of Medicine (NLM) http://www.nlm.nih.gov/

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