Body Composition, Vascular Health, Cardiorespiratory Fitness, Lung Function, Muscle Architecture, and Physical Activity in People with Young Onset Dementia: A Case-Control Study

Abstract

Background

Body composition, blood pressure, estimated maximal oxygen uptake (VO_2max), lung function, physical activity, muscle architecture, and endothelial function had not previously been examined in people with young onset dementia. Therefore, the study measured these variables in a young onset dementia group, compared them to age-matched controls.

Methods

Estimated VO_2max (via the Astrand-Rhyming test), body composition, blood pressure, lung function (via spirometry), muscle architecture (via ultrasonography), and endothelial function (via flow-mediated dilation) were assessed. Physical activity was measured using ActiGraph accelerometers for 7 days.

Results

We recruited 33 participants (16 young onset dementia, 17 controls). The young onset dementia group had shorter fascicle lengths of the vastus lateralis, were sedentary for longer over a 7-day period, and completed less moderate-vigorous physical activity than controls (P = .028, d = 0.81; large effect, P = .029, d = 0.54; moderate effect, and P = .014, d = 0.97; large effect, respectively for pairwise comparisons). Pairwise comparisons suggest no differences at the P < .05 level between young onset dementia and controls for estimated VO_2max (despite a moderate effect size [d = 0.66]), height, body mass, BMI, blood pressure, light physical activity, lung function, muscle thickness, pennation angle, or endothelial function.

Conclusions

This study highlights differences between people with young onset dementia and controls, underscoring the need for multicomponent exercise interventions. Future interventions should target muscle architecture, increase moderate-vigorous physical activity, and reduce sedentariness, with the goal of improving quality of life and promoting functional independence.