Sarcopenia Is Associated with Cognitive Impairment Mainly Due to Slow Gait Speed: Results from the Korean Frailty and Aging Cohort Study (KFACS).

Miji Kim,Chang Won Won

doi:10.3390/ijerph16091491

Abstract

Sarcopenia and cognitive impairment may share common risk factors and pathophysiological pathways. We examined the association between impairments in specific cognitive domains and sarcopenia (and its defining components) in community-dwelling older adults. We analyzed 1887 patients who underwent cognitive function tests and dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry from the baseline data of adults aged 70–84 years obtained from the Korean Frailty and Aging Cohort Study. Those with disability in activities of daily living, dementia, severe cognitive impairment, Parkinson’s disease, musculoskeletal complaints, neurological disorders, or who were illiterate were excluded. Cognitive function was assessed using the Korean version of the Consortium to Establish a Registry for Alzheimer’s Disease Assessment Packet, the Frontal Assessment Battery. For sarcopenia, we used the diagnostic criteria of the Asian Working Group for Sarcopenia. The prevalence of sarcopenia was 9.6% for men and 7.6% for women. Sarcopenia (odds ratio [OR] 1.76, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.04–2.99) and slow gait speed (OR 2.58, 95% CI 1.34–4.99) were associated with cognitive impairment in men. Only slow gait speed (OR 1.88, 95% CI 1.05–3.36) was associated with cognitive impairment in women. Sarcopenia is associated with cognitive impairment mainly due to slow gait speed. Our results suggested that cognitive impairment domains, such as processing speed and executive function, are associated with sarcopenia-related slow gait speed.

Highlights

The rate of cognitive impairment among older adults without dementia has been estimated at 60 cases per 1000 person-years [1]
Higher cognitive dysfunction rate was seen in men with sarcopenia than those without sarcopenia; this relationship did not hold true for women
The findings of our study suggest that sarcopenia-related cognitive impairment was primarily mediated by processing speed and executive function among non-disabled older adults

Summary

Introduction

The rate of cognitive impairment among older adults without dementia has been estimated at 60 cases per 1000 person-years [1]. Cognitive impairment without dementia is related to a higher risk of progression to dementia and contributes to greater disability, higher neuropsychiatric symptoms, and higher healthcare costs [2,3,4,5]. Cognitive impairment has been reported to contribute to the risk of functional decline in non-disabled people aged 70 years and older [6]. Identifying risk factors associated with cognitive impairment is important to reduce risks that are potentially modifiable and amenable to interventions. Several risk factors for age-related cognitive decline and impairment have been identified, including lower level of education, cardiovascular risk factors, lifestyle factors, depression symptoms, sleep disorders, traumatic brain injury, inflammatory markers, and related outcomes [7,8].

Results

Discussion

Conclusion