In:
Circulation, Ovid Technologies (Wolters Kluwer Health), Vol. 139, No. Suppl_1 ( 2019-03-05)
Abstract:
Introduction: Motor function in older adults is known to correlate with neurodegenerative changes and Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) pathology in the brain, however the relationship between mid-life fitness and AD pathology is unknown. AD pathology accumulates early and is difficult to measure; precise estimation requires brain imaging not accessible beyond research settings. Plasma Amyloid and Tau, on the other hand are easy to measure, and are markers of AD pathology and neuronal loss. We tested the association between physical fitness measures in mid-life (gait speed, grip strength and chair stand speed) and plasma markers of AD in the Framingham Heart Study (FHS) Offspring cohort. If these measures correlate with and predict plasma measures of AD burden, these could potentially be used to screen for risk of dementia. Hypothesis: We hypothesized that superior physical fitness will be cross-sectionally associated with higher plasma Amyloid Aβ42 and lower Tau; also, that physical fitness measures will be longitudinally associated with Tau measured at a later exam. Methods: The FHS Offspring cohort had plasma Aβ40 and Aβ42 measured at their 7th clinic exam (1998-01) and plasma total Tau measured at Exam 8 (2005-08). They had grip strength, gait speed and chair stand speed measured at Exam 7, and grip strength and gait speed measured at Exam 8. Grip strength was measured using the Jamar dynamometer, fast gait speed was measured over a 4-meter walkway and chair stand speed was assessed by asking the participants to stand up and down five times, as quickly as they can with their hands folded across their chest. Quantification of Aβ isoforms in plasma was performed using INNO-BIA assays and tau using Single Molecule Array technology.We used linear regression models to examine the association between physical fitness measures and plasma markers of AD adjusting for known confounders (diabetes, cardiovascular disease, atrial fibrillation, smoking, APOE4, systolic blood pressure, waist-to-hip ratio, total cholesterol level, physical activity index, and plasma homocysteine). Results: In this sample of 1886 community living adults (mean age 61, 54% women), hand grip strength was independently associated with plasma Aβ40 (Beta coefficient -0.28; SD 0.10; p value 0.003) and plasma Tau measured 5 years later (Beta coefficient -0.003; SD 0.001; p value 0.001). Gait speed and chair stand speed demonstrated associations with Aβ40 and total Tau which were attenuated by vascular risk factors. Conclusions: Hand grip strength is associated with AD pathology. Grip strength measurement could be a valid screening tool for identifying individuals at a higher risk for AD alongside other validated markers. Future research should examine the correlation between grip strength and AD burden measured by PET imaging.
Type of Medium:
Online Resource
ISSN:
0009-7322
,
1524-4539
DOI:
10.1161/circ.139.suppl_1.MP32
Language:
English
Publisher:
Ovid Technologies (Wolters Kluwer Health)
Publication Date:
2019
detail.hit.zdb_id:
1466401-X
