Handgrip strength and gait speed relationships with cognitive impairment in Iranian older adults: Birjand longitudinal aging study

Background: Cognitive impairment prevalence is rising with population aging. This study examined the relationship between handgrip strength and gait speed with cognitive impairment and performance in older adults. Methods: This cross-sectional study used baseline data from Birjand Longitudinal Aging Study (BLAS), including 1347 older adults. Cognitive function was evaluated using the six-item Cognitive Impairment Test (6CIT). Gait speed was measured over six meters, and grip strength was assessed with hand dynamometers. Results: After adjusting for potential confounders, the association between low handgrip strength and cognitive impairment lost its significance (relative risk ratio (RRR) = 1.07, 95% CI: 0.70, 1.63). However, low gait speed remained significantly associated with dementia (RRR = 1.92, 95% CI: 1.23, 3.01) after adjusting for age, sex, education, body mass index (BMI), hypertension, and depressive symptoms. Conclusion: Low gait speed is significantly associated with dementia, highlighting the importance of incorporating physical function measures into dementia risk assessments. (c) 2025 Elsevier Inc. All rights are reserved, including those for text and data mining, AI training, and similar technologies.