Obesity Leads to Brain-tissue Loss
Reported November 29, 2004
(Ivanhoe Newswire)–A new study suggests being overweight or obese can increase the risk of dementia.
Investigators from Sweden observed significantly greater loss of brain tissue among elderly women with higher body mass indexes.
“This study indicates that a high BMI is a risk factor for dementia in women,” says Deborah Gustafson, Ph.D., study author. “Obesity is another factor that should be actively intervened upon to reduce diseases of advanced aging.”
The research involved 290 women born between 1908 and 1922 who were followed from 1968 to 1992. A computed tomography (CT) scan conducted at the final exam found nearly 50 percent of the women had lost brain tissue, mainly in the temporal lobe. Women with this loss of brain tissue had an average BMI of 27, about one- to 1.5-points higher than women without the brain loss.
Why would being overweight cause brain loss? Gustafson suggests obesity might increase the secretion of the hormone cortisol, which could lead to brain atrophy. She also notes obesity is linked to numerous other conditions including stroke, high blood pressure, and cardiovascular disease, all of which have also been associated with a higher risk of dementia.
“The epidemic of obesity that is being observed in aging Western societies presents a serious public health problem,” writes Dr. Gustafson and her colleagues. “If overweight and obesity contribute not only to diseases of middle age but also to degenerative diseases of late life, the health ramifications … will stress health care systems for many years to come.”
SOURCE: Neurology, 2004;63:1876-1881