Cognitive impairment is a risk factor for decreased physical performance in the elderly.

Background: This study aimed to show a 3-year trajectory of physical performance among Chinese elderly in Beijing communities and explore the associations between new adverse events during the 3-year follow-up period and decreased physical performance.

Methods: A longitudinal observational study included baseline data and transitional information of physical performance from 456 community elders (mean age 67.3 ± 4.9 years, female 43.2 %) at a 3-year follow-up. The Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and the Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB) were used to measure cognition and physical performance, respectively. The number of chronic diseases, cognitive impairment, malnutrition, depression, knee pain, falls, and frailty were the principal independent variables in multivariate logistic regression analysis.

Results: The proportion of the elderly with poor physical performance (26.97 %) increased to 42.11 % and the proportion of those with good physical performance (44.96 %) dropped to 30.48 % after the three-year follow-up. As for physical performance transitions, 39.47 % of the elderly progressed to a worsening physical status. After adjustment for covariates, only new onset cognitive impairment (OR: 5.17; 95%CI: 2.01-14.54; P = 0.001) was associated with physical performance deterioration.

Conclusion: Cognitive impairment is an independent risk factor for decreased physical performance in elderly people. Active interventions targeted at cognitive impairment could help promote healthy aging.