These tests were repeated after five years to monitor for any loss of performance.
Over the next 15 years, about 17 percent of the women in the study had an incidence of dementia, classified as a dementia-related hospitalization or death.
The team found that low grip strength and slow TUG were significant risk factors for presenting with dementia, independent of genetic risk and lifestyle factors such as smoking, alcohol consumption and physical activity levels. It’s widely accepted that as we age, we lose muscle strength that slows down, making normal activities like getting up, walking, and sitting up more difficult.
However, new Edith Cowan University (ECU) research suggests it could also be a sign of another sinister health concern linked to ageing: late-life dementia. Researchers from ECU’s Nutrition and Health Innovation Research Institute and Center for Precision Health examined more than 1,000 women with an average age of 75 to investigate the relationship between muscle function and dementia.
The team tested the women’s grip strength using the timed-up-and-go (TUG) test in partnership with Western University and measured the time it took them to get up from a chair, walk three metres, turn around and sit back down. tested. Australia.