Pulmonary function and motoric cognitive risk syndrome in older adults

Poor pulmonary function (PF) has been linked to neurodegenerative disorders. However, the association of PF with motoric cognitive risk syndrome (MCR) which is a prodromal stage of dementia remains unclear. This study aimed to examine the PF-MCR association in older adults. In the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA), the PF was quantified with forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1), forced vital capacity (FVC), peak expiratory flow (PEF), and a composite PF (CPF) indicator. MCR was defined as the presence of subjective memory complaints and slow gait speed. Cox proportional hazards regression models were employed to examine PF-MCR associations. Among 3564 MCR-free participants at baseline, 421 developed an incident MCR over a median follow-up time of 10 (interquartile range [IQR], 4-14) years. In the multivariable analyses, compared with individuals with low CPF (tertile 1, reference), those with medium (tertile 2, hazard ratio [HR] = 0.79, 95% confidence intervals [CI] = 0.61 to 1.01, P = 0.061) and high levels (tertile 3, HR = 0.65, 95% CI = 0.47 to 0.89, P = 0.008) had decreased risks of incident MCR. Similar results were found when analyzing CPF in a continuous form (HR = 0.73, 95% CI = 0.62 to 0.85, P < 0.001). We also found significantly inverse associations of FVC, FEV1, and PEF with MCR risk. Our findings indicated that high PF is associated with decreased MCR risks. Early monitoring of PF and interventions for PF maintenance may assist in the prevention of MCR.