Slow Walking Speed May Signal Onset of Alzheimer’s

Researchers found a link between slow walking and speed and amyloid levels in certain areas of the brain.

The speed at which elderly people walk may indicate their likelihood of developing Alzheimer’s disease, according to research published in Neurology.

Researchers led by Natalia del Campo, PhD, of the Gerontopole and the Center of Excellence in Neurodegeneration of Toulouse, in France, hypothesized that a slower speed of walking may be related to the amount of amyloid plaque people with Alzheimer’s have built up in their brains, even if they do not yet have external symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease.

Amyloid precursor protein (APP) occurs throughout the body. The amyloid hypothesis proposes that there is a fault with the processing of APP in the brain, leading to the production of a short fragment of APP, a sticky protein known as beta-amyloid.

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