AP41976

AP41976 Linking slow walking to dementia

The study, which was conducted by the Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University, involved the observation of almost 27,000 elderly people on five different continents and of this number 9.7% fit the qualification of having dementia based on the pace they walked. Dr. Joe Verghese, who headed the experiment, stated that "a slow gait is a walking speed slower than about one meter per second, which is about 2.2 miles per hour (m.p.h.). Less than 0.6 meters per second (or 1.3 m.p.h.) is "clearly abnormal." (Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University". The 9.7% were the group who fell into this rate of paced walking. Though this study seems very plausible it made me raise some concern (Barrett's Laws, #7). The article also stated that the higher educated elderly were less likely to be victims of dementia than the less educated. What would happen if the highly educated group were the ones to be recorded with the pace of 1.3 mph more often than the less educated? Verghese also said that aside from this particular aspect, the cognitive complaints given by the elderly should be taken into account as well and that just observing slow walking pace alone can be arthritis and nothing mental whatsoever.

References:

Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University. "Slow Walking Speed, Memory Complaints Can Predict Dementia". Neurology. July 16, 2014. Web

Barrett, Matthew. "Barrett's Laws". #7. Print

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