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Nick Koudis / Getty Images stock
By Molly Raisch
Prevention
If you want to know what your risk of dementia and stroke will be down the line, new research finds that surprisingly simple tests today could give you the answer.
The handshake test
How’s your grip? Not only is a firm handshake a sign of confidence, but doctors say it may be a barometer of your health, too. Researchers followed nearly 2,500 men and women for more than a decade, according to new research presented at the American Academy of Neurology’s 64th Annual Meeting, and linked the risk of dementia and stroke to how strong their handshakes were at the beginning of the study. Having a stronger grip was associated with a 42 percent lower risk of stroke in people over age 65 compared with other study participants with flimsier grasps.
What’s the connection? “Vascular problems in the brain manifest themselves in a wide variety of ways,” says study author Erica Camargo, MD, of the Boston Medical Center. The suspicion is that if your grip is particularly weak, it could be a sign that your overall cardiovascular health isn’t in the best shape, she says.
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The walking report
Are you a speed demon or more of a stroller? If people think you're a New Yorker simply by the speed of your stride, you're in luck. The same study found that those who walked at a brisk clip had a much lower risk of developing dementia than their tortoise-paced counterparts. Those with a slower walking speed in middle age were one and a half times more likely to develop dementia.
“Walking speed can be a great test of general frailty, and since walking is not exactly simple (you have to look where you’re going and plan ahead) the time it takes you to process this information can be a measurement of how damaged the brain is,” says Dr. Camargo.
The sleeping quiz
Snooze with one eye open? You could be at risk for memory problems later on. According to a new study from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, people who wake up more than five times per hour are more likely to have amyloid plaque build up in their brain, which is thought to be a precursor to Alzheimer’s disease.
Even if you think you get in a full eight hours every night, don’t be so sure: Although most study participants were physically in bed for eight hours, the average amount of sleep people actually got was closer to six and a half hours—and 25 percent of the participants had evidence of amyloid plaques.
More from Prevention:
- The 10 Best Walking Shoes
- Why You Can’t Sleep
- Brain Games To Keep Your Mind Sharp
- 9 Ways to Never Have a Stroke
Read the latest from The Body Odd:
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- After a stroke, the faces of her family looked 'ugly'
- Loud talkers: Why do some voices seem to be set at top volume?
- World's tallest man finally stops growing at 8 feet 3 inches
Want more weird health news? Find The Body Odd on Facebook.
Leave a Comment:
I find this incredibly inaccurate. My father in law was a man with a brisk walk & a firm handshake, plus he did all the things they say you should do - eat healthy, exercise, keep your mind active, etc etc. He developed dementia anyway & passed away 5 years after symptoms appeared.
The article says "Those with a slower walking speed in middle age were one and a half times more likely to develop dementia," not that only people with a slower walking speed develop dementia.
Well, these results have to do with tendencies, not absolutes. Notice that the reduced incidence in one test was 42%, not 100%. I'll take a 42% reduced liklihood of something bad happening rather than no reduced liklihood of the same bad thing happening any day.....
If a handshake's a barometer of health, maybe I should go out of my way to shake my doctor's hand whenever I go in for a checkup to give him another diagnostic tool. On the other hand (pun intended), if the doctor shakes every patient's hand he'll be spending a lot of time disinfecting it or passing germs between patients. So I think I'll leave well enough (pun intended) alone.
Nice puns.
I would hope all doctors wash their hands after each and every patient they see, even if they don't shake every patient's hand!
What about those of us ladies who deliberately give more of a feminine handshake - with a soft, feminine grip, and with the hand facing down rather than sideways (similar to the way a woman would present her hand in the old days)? I enjoy being more feminine, regardless of what anyone else thinks it might mean as far as confidence, authority, etc. I happen to believe that you can be strong, confident, and have authority, yet still be feminine. My handshake is deliberately meant to convey that.
And what about those of us who don't care about walking fast? I have no reason to walk fast. This is not a sign of frailty and is not indicative of any sort of diminished brain function or brain damage. I don't like to be rushed, I don't go through life at break-neck speed, and I don't embrace the "I'll sleep when I die" philosophy. That is a choice, so I seriously think that the sweeping statements and inferences made by these researchers are reckless at best.
As a woman, I find women who shake hands like that very annoying and unprofessional.
Yeah, that type of handshake doesn't convey strength, confidence or authority, imo. It comes across like "help me" - but, that's just my opinion.
I use to be a slower walker though - but, I've learned to pick up my speed. It's a necessity while on rotations in hospitals and in clinics - keeping up with attendings, responding to emergencies, etc. all take speed. I've been practicing so I can keep up when I start my rotations in July.
Yours is the kind of artificially frail handshake I speak of below. I detest those so-called "feminine" handshakes. Talk about shaking hands with limp fingers — a cold fish. It's neither feminine, confident nor attractive in the least. No one is going to kiss your hand.
Now the the two-handed shake — that's reserved for people you really want to show warmth and affection to. THEN put your hand more flat out and your other hand beneath, but still firm, confident and warm.
My daughter shakes hands very, very gently. She learned that firmer handshakes actually hurt some folks because of arthritis, brittle bones, muscles problems, etc. She makes an effort to be as gentle as possible. We've all met the hand crushers and the limp noodles. I understand, but detest, the fist bump.
As for the slower walking, we who are arthritic and/or have physical handicaps (or are just plain clumsy [I'm guilty of all three], walk a little slower to preserve ourselves for extra pain, falling or tripping. [I can trip over unseamed linoleum]).
Dementia has many forms and causes. Every little bit helps in defining, curing and preventing it, but I don't think there is overwhelming evidence that early detection can be focused on greeting methods or marathon walking.
When I am introduced to someone, male or female, I do appreciate a firm handshake coupled with a direct look in the eyes. If their handshake is limp and they are staring off into space, I am immediately turned off. You do have to take into consideration age and physical condition of the person you are meeting. You certainly don't want to induce pain in anyone.
Golly, Voicebox took quite a pounding. I think it is feminine and sweet.
In a professional environment, I tend to agree with everyone on VoiceBox's handshake, but... When it comes to casual greeting, such as at a dinner party, or introduced to someone, I find the "feminine" handshake from a woman quite refreshing.
I have a very firm handshake, but I tend to walk slow (due to heels), except when I am in a rush to be somewhere. When I do take walks for fitness purposes, in sneakers, I do walk fast, because you get more of a workout.
I wake up a few times a night but that's just because I am a light sleeper and I have trouble breathing due to narrow nostrils and a deviated septum.
Hot.
You're my friend. But that's TMI. I still like you. Send me a personal email and we can come to a working relationship. You are so bright! I love to follow your posts. You move the Vine in all the right directions.
Peace and happy sleeping to you!
I know a lady who walked slow and had a weak handshake since at least highschool. A the tender age of 50, she is in a nursing home because of dementia. Having a faster walking speed can also translate in to better health overall. It does work your cardiovascular system. A firm handshake is a good thing as well. I conveys much information about the person as intonation in your voice. If there is a disconnect between the 2, voice and handshake, it is disconcerting for the other party. Also those limp, hand down, squeezy pinch like handshakes makes me feel like the other person doesn't want to touch me and will wipe "me" off as soon as possible.
I like to nearly put people on their knees with a firm handshake. It sets the tone for what is to come.
I skip over the handshake, instead offering a firm punch to the face.
Dshot1 & Matt - Haha. Sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do :)
Yes you and my ex, have that in common. He use to grab someones hand and almost crush their hand. He thought that was funny, no so for the poor people who had painful joints or other problems. I am not a big fan of handshakes, I prefer to smile and nod. I have something in my hands anyway so I don't offer my hand..
And we are pass the checking for knifes and spears point in our history, hopefully.
Can't think of a single business or political leader in the public eye who lacks a firm handshake or a brisk gate. Personally, I wouldn't work for nor vote for anyone who appeared in public to have a weak handshake or who was a slow walker. Of course, more than a few of these leaders evidence some degree of dementia every time they open their mouths.
Some people are trained to give weak handshakes. Case in point are women who respond to your extended hand with a tilted hand, offering a half/hand shake, and creepy little "finger shake"! I've always hated that — and I'm a woman. Who ever taught women that delicate, weak handshake idea must have dementia!
I don't find this article very accurate, or relevant to developing dementia, there are too many variables, like me for instance, have crushed my hand and shattered multiple bones in my hand, so my handshake is weak too, because it still hurts when pressure is put on certain spots. I hate shaking hands for this reason. A lot of people would love to move faster, but injuries or arthritis are limiting them. Sometimes my knee or ankle hurts a little after several hours of walking, so I slow down, so this means that I am increased risk for dementia? Doubtful............. This makes about as much sense as saying, big feet, big d&%@, or something equally preposterous.
Romney today said, "for women get their own health insurance if they wanted it"
Not like it was in the 70's when women fought like Grizzly Bears defending women's rights.
There are more women today, . . . . yet it seems their attitude is, oh darn those guys.
What happened to the internal fortitude of today's women ?
Romney today said, "for women get their own health insurance if they wanted it"
Not like it was in the 70's when women fought like Grizzly Bears defending women's rights.
There are more women today, . . . . yet it seems their attitude is, oh darn those guys.
What happened to the internal fortitude of today's women ?
Under the sleep section it said: "people who wake up more than five times an HOUR". That would be every 12 minutes, all night long or abouot 40 times per night. That gives me brain plaque just thinking about it! I think they meant 5 times per NIGHT.
Rural: Nope, they meant 5x/hr. Really. Sleep deprivation is a serious problem in our go-go-go society. Proper sleep hygiene is as important to our overall well-being as dental hygiene.