Abstract
Alzheimer’s disease (AD) shows a marked presence of physiologic changes and the start or aggravation of underlying diseases such as physical frailty in diverse anatomical regions. It is believed to have a particularly harmful effect on the health of the foot. We examined the foot health status in older persons with AD, with a specific focus on the extent to which people with AD may be using inadequate footwear in old age. Seventy-three community-dwelling people with probable, mild to moderate AD aged 65–95 years were recruited from a center of excellence for AD. A single trained physician evaluated health status and foot conditions. Current shoe and foot length and width measurements were taken using a calibrated Brannock device. The results indicate that sixty-five participants (89.04%) suffered from feet problems. Also, only twenty-two subjects (30.14%) used the correct shoes in width and size related with the morphology of their feet. Fifty-one participants (69.86%) were using incorrect shoes in length or width. The present study revealed that peoples with AD had a high presence of foot health problems. Also, the use of inappropriate shoes revealed measurable differences of association between shoe size and the morphology of the foot.
Highlights
Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder more common in the elderly and is a growing epidemic worldwide [1], affecting approximately 4.4% to 9.7% of elderly people and is predicted to double every 20 years until at least 2040 [2,3,4]
Seventy-three subjects diagnosed with AD living in a “center of excellence” for AD participated in the study between January 2017 and April 2017
Foot health has been recognized as a potential threat to public health, as stated by Najafi et al, who described the age-related decline in foot strength and flexibility and the emerging evidence that foot problems increase the risk of falls, established guidelines for falls prevention, and recommended that older adults have their feet examined by a podiatrist as a precautionary measure [18]
Summary
Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder more common in the elderly and is a growing epidemic worldwide [1], affecting approximately 4.4% to 9.7% of elderly people and is predicted to double every 20 years until at least 2040 [2,3,4]. The clinical aspects of foot health in AD people are evident, the link with AD is unclear, but it is believed to be influenced by the functional, social, and cognitive ability of these people. Recent studies by López-López et al in older people without AD have demonstrated the influence of. Res. Public Health 2018, 15, 286; doi:10.3390/ijerph15020286 www.mdpi.com/journal/ijerph
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