Handgrip strength and gait speed relationships with cognitive impairment in Iranian older adults: Birjand longitudinal aging study

BACKGROUND: Cognitive impairment prevalence is rising with population aging. This study examined the relationship between handgrip strength and gait speed with cognitive impairment and performance in older adults. METHODS: This cross-sectional study used baseline data from Birjand Longitudinal Aging Study (BLAS), including 1347 older adults. Cognitive function was evaluated using the six-item Cognitive Impairment Test (6-CIT). Gait speed was measured over six meters, and grip strength was assessed with hand dynamometers. RESULTS: After adjusting for potential confounders, the association between low handgrip strength and cognitive impairment lost its significance (relative risk ratio (RRR) = 1.07, 95% CI: 0.70, 1.63). However, low gait speed remained significantly associated with dementia (RRR = 1.92, 95% CI: 1.23, 3.01) after adjusting for age, sex, education, body mass index (BMI), hypertension, and depressive symptoms. CONCLUSION: Low gait speed is significantly associated with dementia, highlighting the importance of incorporating physical function measures into dementia risk assessments.