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Physical Frailty May Be Linked to Alzheimer's Disease ST. PAUL, Minn -- August 11, 2008 -- Physical frailty may be related to Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathology, according to a study published in the August 12 issue of Neurology. For the study, researchers examined the brains of 165 people who had been participants in a larger community study of chronic diseases of aging. While participants were alive, physical frailty measurements were taken yearly including grip strength, time to walk 8 feet, body composition, and tiredness. After death, the brains of these participants were checked for the plaques and tangles that are signs of AD pathology. Of the participants in the study, 36% of the group had dementia, or showed signs of memory loss. "Interestingly, Alzheimer's disease pathology was associated with physical frailty in older persons both with and without dementia," said study author Aron S. Buchman, MD, Rush University Alzheimer's Disease Center, Chicago, Illinois. "The level of frailty was approximately 2 times higher in a person with a high level of AD pathology compared with a person with a low level of AD pathology," said Dr. Buchman. The results remained the same regardless of whether a person had a history of other diseases and regardless of their level of physical activity. "These findings raise the possibility that Alzheimer's disease may contribute to frailty or that frailty and Alzheimer's disease share a common cause. We theorise that the accumulation of these plaques and tangles in the brain could affect the areas of the brain responsible for motor skills and simple movements years before the development of dementia," Dr. Buchman said. SOURCE: American Academy of Neurology E-mail this page to a friend or colleague! To print, use this version