Now, what is the gait speed? Gait speed is the time it takes one to walk a specified distance on level surfaces over a short distance.
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mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";color:#222222">Digital Desk:
mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";color:#222222"> A combined drop-in
walking speed and cognitive function was tied to an increased risk of dementia
in a study of nearly 17,000 older adults. Dementia risk was highest in people
with slower gait speeds and lower memory scores over time.
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color:#222222">Slowing gait and failing memory may be the best combination of
clinical measures to identify people at risk of future dementia, co-author
Michele Callisaya, Ph.D. of the National Center for Healthy Aging at Monash
University and Peninsula Health, told the media.
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color:#222222">Now, what is the gait speed? Gait speed is the time it takes one
to walk a specified distance on level surfaces over a short distance.
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color:#222222">Calisaya said that it is important to identify at-risk
individuals early to address modifiable risk factors for dementia prevention
and start new treatments as they become available. "Gait speed is quick to
measure and only requires a measured distance and a stopwatch," she said.
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color:#222222">"Slowing more than 0.05 metres per second per year should
trigger a more comprehensive assessment," she added. In an invited
commentary, gait evaluations are often not performed in clinics, noted Joe
Verghese, MD, of Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York City.
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color:#222222">"Despite the established predictive validity of gait assessments for
geriatric syndromes, an implementation barrier for routine gait assessment in
clinics exists that needs to be addressed to improve the care of older patients,"
Verghese stated.
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