Belly Fat Causes Dementia in Later Life

Larger Abdomen in Midlife Increases Risk of Dementia

Overweight Individuals with Large Bellies Double or Triple the Risk of Dementia

People in their 40s with bigger stomachs experience a greater risk for dementia in their 70s, according to a study published in the March 26, 2008, online issue of Neurology(R), the journal published by the American Academy of Neurology.

Earlier studies looked at central obesity (as determined by waist circumference) and body mass index in the elderly and its relationship to dementia risk.

Also, earlier studies revealed that a large midlife abdomen increases the risk of coronary heart disease, stroke, and diabetes.

Too much belly fat causes dementia. This most recent study, however, is the first time researchers have shown a longitudinal association between midlife belly fat and risk of dementia.

Measuring abdominal obesity in midlife may be a much better indicator of the long term metabolic problems that increase dementia risk, said Rachel Whitmer, Ph.D., the research scientist at the Kaiser Permanente Division of Research in Oakland, CA, who authored this study.

Measuring abdomen size in older people may not be as good an indicator because as people get older they naturally gain belly size as they lose muscle and bone mass, she explained.

"Considering that 50 percent of adults in this country have abdominal obesity, this is a disturbing finding. It is well known that being overweight in midlife and beyond increases risk factors for disease. However, where one carries the weight -- especially in midlife -- appears to be an important predictor for dementia risk," Whitmer said.

"Autopsies have shown that changes in the brain associated with Alzheimer's disease may start in young to middle adulthood, and another study showed that high abdominal fat in elderly adults was tied to greater brain atrophy. These findings imply that the dangerous effects of abdominal obesity on the brain may start long before the signs of dementia appear."

Whitmer pointed out that more research must be completed to understand the various mechanisms that link abdominal obesity in midlife to dementia risk.

The study measured the abdominal density of 6,583 people age 40 to 45 in northern California. Belly fat was determined with a caliper measuring the distance from the back to the upper abdomen, halfway between the top of the pelvis and the bottom of the ribs.

Belly density was highly correlated with the fat tissue (called visceral fat tissue) wrapped around the organs. An average of 36 years later, doctors had diagnosed 16 percent of the participants with dementia.

Belly fat is bad for ladies too. The study revealed that overweight people with a large belly were 2.3 times more likely to develop dementia than men and women carrying normal weight and belly size.

Obese adults with large bellies had a 3.6 times better chance of developing dementia than those of normal weight and belly size.

Overweight or obese people who didn't have large abdomens still had an 80% increased risk of dementia.

Having a big belly increased the risk of dementia regardless of whether the participants were overweight, obese, or of normal weight overall and regardless of existing health conditions, including cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and stroke.

Individuals more likely to have abdominal obesity included non-whites, smokers, people experiencing high blood pressure, high cholesterol or diabetes, and those who didn't complete high school.

In conclusion, as is the case with all observational studies, the association of the abdominal obesity and dementia may not be driven solely by abdominal obesity, but may well include a complex set of health-related issues, of which abdominal obesity is just one.

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