How do strong muscles keep the brain healthy? Link found between low muscle mass and cognitive decline

According to recent research, muscle mass is linked to the risk of developing dementia in older people. The results revealed that low muscle mass is significantly associated with cognitive decline

The dementia negatively affects the lives of millions of people and their families, and at the time of diagnosis the process appears to be irreversible.

New research published in JAMA Network Openhowever, he identified muscle mass as a modifiable factor that could be used to reduce the risk of developing the condition before it’s too late.

Hence, this new work highlights the importance of muscle mass as an independent factor related to rapid cognitive decline.

Lead author Stéphanie Chevalier, scientist with the Metabolic Disorders and Complications Program at the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Center said that:

Low muscle strength has recently been associated with an increased risk of dementia, but little is known about a possible link between muscle mass and cognition. With 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 level of physical activity.

These findings are important because muscle mass is a modifiable factor, which means we can do something about it.

Exercise, especially endurance exercise, and good nutrition with enough protein can help maintain muscle mass over the years.

Read also: Are you over 40? 10 minutes of physical activity a day would be enough to extend your life

I study

The researchers conducted the study using data from the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging (CLSA), which has a rich body composition data set and several cognitive tests conducted in person, at three-year intervals, in a cohort of 30,000 people.

The research team asked the question of whether to have one low muscle mass predicts subsequent cognitive decline in three domains – memory, executive function and psychomotor speed – in adults aged 65 and over.

We found that having reduced muscle mass was associated with a greater decline in executive cognitive function over three years, compared to having normal muscle mass.

Executive functions are important in our daily activities and behaviors as they help us sustain attention, organize thoughts and make decisions.

Beyond their role in strength and physical functioning, muscles are the reservoir of proteins that are used for various and important bodily processes.

It is also known that exercising and building muscle mass, bringing more blood flow to the brain, can promote executive functioning.

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Source: JAMA

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