08 Aug , 09:18
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Elderly people who maintain exceptionally high walking speed by age 80 are significantly less likely to experience cognitive decline — scientists have called such people "supermovers."
The results of the study were published in the journal Neurology.
"Most research focuses on why people walk more slowly with age. We wanted to understand the opposite: why some adults over 80 maintain exceptional mobility and whether this reflects healthier brain aging," explained Joe Verghese, professor of neurology at Stony Brook University.
For the large-scale analysis, the team combined data from three major studies: an international sample of 3,989 people over 80 without dementia at the start of observations, the LonGenity cohort study of 197 participants with annual cognitive tests and MRI, and a postmortem brain analysis of 692 participants from the RUSH project.
"Supermovers" were identified as those whose walking speed exceeded the average for their age and sex by at least 1.5 standard deviations — roughly the top 7%. Their risk of developing cognitive impairment was 51% lower during follow-up, and MRI revealed greater hippocampal volume — the brain region responsible for memory and spatial orientation.
"Supermovers demonstrated better cognitive outcomes despite having similar levels of Alzheimer's disease pathology at autopsy as ordinary individuals. This points more to brain resilience rather than simply less disease," noted Verghese.
At the same time, he emphasized that the study is observational in nature and does not prove that fast walking directly prevents dementia — rather, both phenomena reflect the body's overall resilience.
"Being active throughout life is one of the best things we know of that supports physical and cognitive health," the scientist added.
