Association of Muscle Strength With the Risk of Alzheimer Disease and the Rate of Cognitive Decline in Community-Dwelling Older Persons

Abstract

Although Alzheimer disease (AD) is characterized clinically by a progressive deterioration in memory and other cognitive abilities, it is associated with various noncognitive features, including affective manifestations (eg, depressive symptoms) and impaired motor function (eg, gait impairment).^1-5 Recent data suggest that these noncognitive features may be early signs of AD, as they often predict the onset of clinical AD.^6-10 Although grip strength is related to the risk of AD, few studies^11-13 have examined grip strength, and the more general association of muscle strength (measured in multiple body regions) with incident AD remains unknown. Furthermore, body mass index (BMI) and physical activity are related to the risk of AD,^14-17 yet it is unclear whether the association of muscle strength with AD is independent of these important confounding variables.