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Three predictors of future memory loss

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February 20, 2012|By Deborah Kotz

Three studies released by the American Academy of Neurology last week have found some surprising factors that may play a role in predicting how much memory loss we’ll experience in old age - though none proves that these factors actually lead to dementia.

1. Walking slowly. A Boston Medical Center study, which followed more than 2,400 volunteers in their 50s and 60s for 11 years, found that those who had the fastest walking pace were the least likely to develop severe memory loss at the end of the study. Those with the strongest hand grip at the start of the study also had a lower risk of developing dementia compared with those with weaker grips.

2. Excess calorie consumption. Results from the Mayo Clinic Study of Aging compared the calorie consumption of more than 1,000 healthy volunteers ages 70 to 89 with no memory loss and found that it was, on average, much lower than that of 163 age-matched patients with mild cognitive impairment. Consuming more than 2,150 calories a day doubled the odds of having some memory loss, but the researchers said the study needs to be confirmed.

3. Interrupted sleep. A Washington University study found that those who woke up frequently during the night - more than five times an hour - were more likely to have abnormal markers in their spinal fluid and imaging scans that indicated early Alzheimer’s disease.

TheKidsRAllRight wrote: This is bad news for any slow-walking, high-calorie-consuming insomniacs out there.

bfcohen wrote: People in poor health and who don’t live healthy lifestyles have a higher risk of health problems including dementia.