To date, several factors have been identified as influencing the decline in overall health. A new study demonstrates a surprising discovery: your muscle mass could be linked to the speed of your cognitive decline!

A recent Quebec study carried out by researchers from the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Center (RI-MUHC) and the School of Human Nutrition at McGill University reveals a link between low muscle mass and cognitive decline . The Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging, conducted on adults aged 65 to 86 over a period of 3 years, shows an association between low muscle mass and cognitive function.

“Low muscle strength has recently been associated with a higher risk of dementia, but little is known about a possible link between muscle mass and cognition. In this study, we show for the first time that the presence of low muscle mass is significantly associated with faster cognitive decline and that this association is independent of muscle strength and physical activity level, among others. factors,” says Stéphanie Chevalier, Ph. D., scientist at the Research Program in Metabolic Disorders and Their Complications (DeMeC) at the IR-MUHC, who led the study.

Elements measured in the study

Lean appendicular soft tissue mass (AMT) was assessed by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA). Low MMA was identified using the Canadian sex-specific cutoff points. Memory was assessed using the Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test (RAVLT). Executive function was assessed using the Mental Alternation Test, the High Interference Stroop Test (words/dots), the Animal Fluency Test, and the Oral Controlled Word Association Test. Psychomotor speed was assessed using computer-administered choice reaction time. Composite scores per domain were created. Of the 8279 participants, 4003 (48%) were female and the average age was 72.9 (5.6) years. A total of 1605 participants (19.4%) had low MMA at baseline.

Results

This study found longitudinal associations between low MMA and aging-related cognition. Identifying older adults with low muscle mass, the targeted modifiable factor, may help identify individuals at risk for accelerated decline in executive function.

Participants with low MMA were older, had a lower body mass index, and a lower level of physical activity. According to the multiple linear regression method, the presence of low MMA at baseline was associated with more rapid cognitive decline at 3 years in executive functions and psychomotor speed. After adjusting for variables such as age, education level, body fat percentage, and grip strength, low MMA was only independently associated with decreased executive function. Low MMA, however, was not associated with memory.

Muscle mass - a modifiable factor

Executive functions are important in our daily activities and behaviors because they help us stay focused, organize our thoughts, and make decisions. Low muscle mass - compared to muscle mass within the normal range for age - was associated with greater decline in executive function over three years, but not with loss of memory or psychomotor function. muscle mass has been identified as a modifiable factor that could be used to reduce the risk of dementia leaves room for several opportunities for preventive treatments.

Muscles not only play a role in physical strength and ability, but are also where many proteins are stored and secreted to bind to the brain. Physical exercise - especially resistance exercises - and training muscle tissue can increase blood flow to the brain and help with concentration and decision-making. Combining physical exercise with a good diet - including sufficient protein - helps maintain muscle mass for many years.

Compared with optimal normal muscle mass for age, low muscle mass was associated with greater decline in executive function over three years, but not with loss of memory or psychomotor function. Executive functions are important in our daily activities and behaviors because they help us stay focused, organize our thoughts, and make decisions.

Millions of people and their families are affected by dementia every day. When a person is diagnosed with dementia, it appears that the process of cognitive decline is permanent. However, new developments in research could lead to potential treatments and even cures.

Source : https://cusm.ca/nouvelles-et-histoires/nouvelles/une-etude-de-lir-cusm-demontre-lexistence-dun-lien-entre-faible