Fri September 2, 2011 Shots - Health Blog  Tiny Strokes May
Cause The Shuffling Gait of Old Age  Credit Lisa F. Young /
iStockphoto.com Stroke so small they're never noticed may add
up.  Old people who don't have signs of cardiovascular disease
still may have suffered microscopic strokes that don't show up
on conventional tests. The small strokes may impair their
ability to walk, balance and function just the same.  Scientists
examined the brains of 418 priests and nuns after they died. The
researchers found that one-third of the brains that had seemed
normal using conventional tests while the people were alive
actually had damage to tiny blood vessels. The damage was so
slight it was impossible to see without a microscope.  The
people whose brains had these tiny signs of hardened arteries
and stroke were most likely to have had shuffling gait and other
movement problems while they were still alive.  This means that
problems with walking, rigidity, tremors, and other movement
issues that are often considered