Limb length and dementia in an older Korean population

Abstract

Objectives: There has been little research into risk factors for dementia outside Western settings, in particular the importance of early life nutrition as estimated by adult body size. This study investigated the associations of arm and leg length with cognitive impairment and dementia in a community sample of older Korean people. Methods: 746 community residents aged 65 or over were clinically assessed for dementia and cognitive impairment. The following were also measured: arm length (demispan), leg length (iliac crest height), and sitting height (standing height minus iliac crest height). Reproductive history was also ascertained in women. Results: Shorter demispan and leg length were associated with increased age and lower education. They were also associated with dementia and Alzheimer's disease after adjustment for these factors. These associations were only significant in women but were not explained substantially by timing of the menarche or menopause. The association between lower education and dementia was also stronger in women, but was not explained substantially by limb length. Conclusions: Shorter limb length was associated with lower childhood socioeconomic status, as estimated by the presence/duration of formal education. It was also independently associated with dementia and Alzheimer's disease. Sex differences in this association might be explained by gender disadvantage in early life for this cohort or by different associations with health states (for example, cardiovascular disease) later in life.

Physiological correlates of age-related decline in vibrotactile sensitivity

“…The structural equation analysis also demonstrated that height had a positive association with central nervous system function. Similar relationship has been previously described in older adults, in cross-sectional as well as prospective studies, particularly with respect to cognitive function [1,22]. Interestingly, we could not find an evidence of the positive relationship between Inflammatory Markers and Central Nervous System function.…”

Reproductive History and Risk of Cognitive Impairment in Elderly Women: A Cross-Sectional Study in Eastern China

“…We found that a longer reproductive period was associated with a significantly better cognitive function (MMSE), in agreement with the majority of previous studies [10][11][12]. Other studies [20][21][22] also reported the similar effect of reproductive period on the risk of dementia and AD, but not all studies [13,23,24]. Our finding supported the protective effect of estrogen exposure on cognitive impairment.…”

Fertility History and Cognition in Later Life.

“…An association between older motherhood and better cognitive functioning in later life was also reported in a study of Chinese older women (Heys et al, 2011). However, a Korean study found no association between age at first birth and dementia (Kim et al, 2003). Conclusions from these investigations are thus inconsistent probably reflecting the range of study populations and designs used, the fact that several were based on clinical or otherwise nonpopulation representative samples, included only women and had limited control for relevant socioeconomic and psychosocial factors.…”

“…However, other studies have found no or different associations. These include studies of representative samples of French (Ryan, Carrière, Scali, Ritchie, & Ancelin, 2009) and Australian (Low, Anstey, Jorm, Rodgers, & Christensen, 2005) women and small or clinically based samples of women in Southern California (Smith et al, 1999), Canada (Hesson, 2012), and Korea (Kim, Stewart, Shin, & Yoon, 2003). In a Swedish study of older female twins, high parity was associated with cognitive impairment in a case-control analysis but not in a comparison of discordant twin pairs (Rasgon et al, 2005).…”