WEDNESDAY, Nov. 13, 2024 (HealthDay News) -- There are accelerations in frailty trajectories four to nine years before onset of dementia, according to a study published online Nov. 11 in JAMA Neurology.
David D. Ward, Ph.D., from the University of Queensland in Woolloongabba, Australia, and colleagues examined the temporal relationship between frailty and incident dementia by examining frailty trajectories in the years preceding dementia onset using data from four prospective studies. Data were obtained between 1997 and 2024 and analyzed; participants were aged 60 years or older without cognitive impairment at baseline.
After exclusions, data were analyzed for 29,849 participants (3,154 cases of incident dementia). The researchers observed accelerations in frailty trajectories four to nine years before incident dementia. There was a positive association seen for frailty with dementia risk (adjusted hazard ratios ranged from 1.18 to 1.73). Among participants whose time between frailty measurement and incident dementia exceeded the identified acceleration period, the association persisted (adjusted hazard ratios ranged from 1.18 to 1.43).
"People age at different rates and the number of health problems that accumulate is captured by their degree of frailty. By understanding the connection between aging, frailty, and dementia, we can use targeted intervention strategies to reduce risk and improve quality of life," Ward said in a statement. "This finding supports integrating frailty screening into routine check-ups and could be used to inform health programs which promote lifestyle interventions such as exercise and nutrition."
Several authors disclosed ties to the pharmaceutical industry.
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