• Diana G Taekema, Carolina H Y Ling, Susan E Kurrle, Ian D Cameron, Carel G M Meskers, Gerard J Blauw, Rudi G J Westendorp, Anton J M de Craen, and Andrea B Maier.
• Department of Gerontology and Geriatrics, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands. dtaekema@rijnstate.nl
• Age Ageing. 2012 Jul 1; 41 (4): 506-12.

Backgroundcognitive decline and muscle weakness are prevalent health conditions in elderly people. We hypothesised that cognitive decline precedes muscle weakness.Objectiveto analyse the temporal relationship between cognitive performance and handgrip strength in oldest old people.Designprospective population-based 4-year follow-up study.Subjectsa total of 555 subjects, all aged 85 years at baseline, were included into the study.Methodshandgrip strength measured at age 85 and 89 years. Neuropsychological test battery to assess global cognitive performance, attention, processing speed and memory at baseline and repeated at age 89 years. Associations between handgrip strength and cognitive performance were analysed by repeated linear regression analysis adjusted for common confounders.Resultsat age 85 and 89 years, better cognitive performance was associated with higher handgrip strength (all, P<0.03), except for attention. There was no longitudinal association between baseline handgrip strength and cognitive decline (all, P>0.10), except for global cognitive performance (P=0.007). Better cognitive performance at age 85 years was associated with slower decline in handgrip strength (all, P<0.01) after adjustment for common confounders.Conclusionbaseline cognitive performance was associated with decline in handgrip strength, whereas baseline handgrip strength was not associated with cognitive decline. Our results suggest that cognitive decline precedes the onset of muscle weakness in oldest old people.

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