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The more extra pounds, the weaker the memory, the researchers concluded by analyzing the relationship between BMI and dementia. They also explained why obesity has a negative impact on memory and memory, and above all - how to prevent it. Their research was published in the International Journal of Epidemiology.
A team of researchers at the UCL Institute of Epidemiology & He alth Care analyzed data from 6,582 British people aged 50 and over, collected in the Longitudinal Study of Aging. We first analyzed how many of these people had dementia using three different sources: medical diagnoses, informational reports, and hospital episode statistics. Then they were compared with the BMI indices of the respondents.
It turned out thatpeople whose BMI was 30 or more(i.e. were obese) and did not lose weight for the following years,had a 31% higher risk of dementia , with an average follow-up of 11 years, than those with a BMI of 18.5-24.9.
The risk of obesity-related dementia was also gender-related : It was shown that women with abdominal obesity had a 39% greater risk of dementia compared to women with the correct BMI, and - as determined by the researchers - it was independent of their age, education, marital status, smoking behavior, genetics (APOE ε4 gene), diabetes and arterial hypertension.A similar association was not shown for men.
When BMI and waist circumference were considered together, obese participants of both genders were 28% more likely to have dementia than to people whose BMI was at the correct level.
Researchers suggestexcess body fat may increase the risk of dementia by affecting metabolic and vascular pathwaysthat contribute to protein accumulation or amyloid changes in the brain.
Some studies also provide evidence that obesity may increase the risk of dementia by directly affecting the cytokines and hormones derived from fat cells.
As one of the study authors Dr Dorina Cadar concluded: - Both BMI and waist circumference should be monitored to avoid disturbances in metabolic regulation.Therefore, it is recommended to reduce weightbody to optimal levels by adopting he althy and balanced eating patternssuch as the Mediterranean diet, adequate exercise, and reduced alcohol consumption throughout adulthood.