Higher levels of body fat, according to McMaster University researchers, are a risk factor for cognitive decline, decreased thought processing speed, and memory difficulties.
Even after accounting for cardiovascular risk factors such as diabetes and hypertension, as well as vascular brain injuries, the results remained consistent. There was a clear link between body fat and lower cognitive performance. This clearly suggests that there are other, but as-yet-unidentified, routes linking excessive fat accumulation to cognitive deterioration.
For this study, bioelectrical impedance analysis was used to measure the total body fat levels of over 9,000 people. Furthermore, 6,733 of the subjects had an MRI to assess both visceral fat (abdominal fat packed around organs) and any vascular brain damage (brain regions impeded by lack of adequate blood flow).
"Our results suggest that strategies to prevent or reduce having too much body fat may preserve cognitive function," lead study author Sonia Anand, a professor of medicine of McMaster University's Michael G. DeGroote School of Medicine and a vascular medicine specialist at Hamilton Health Sciences (HHS), said in a media release.
Furthermore, the effect of increased body fat persisted even after researchers adjusted for its effect on increasing cardiovascular risk factors such as diabetes and high blood pressure, as well as vascular brain injury, prompting researchers to investigate which other pathways may link excess fat to reduced cognitive function, the researchers noted.
The volunteers ranged in age from 30 to 75 years old, with the average being 58. Just over half the group (56%) were women, and all the participants hailed from either Poland or Canada.
Experts have long known that having too much body fat is harmful to your health. However, visceral fat, as opposed to the fat that sits just beneath your skin (subcutaneous fat), is more likely to put you at risk for major medical problems. Heart disease, Alzheimer's disease, type 2 diabetes, stroke, and high cholesterol are only a few of the diseases connected to excess fat in the trunk.
Researchers believe that visceral fat produces more proteins that cause inflammation in your body's tissues and organs, as well as narrowing of your blood vessels. This can raise your blood pressure and cause other complications.
Consult your doctor if you have any of the symptoms of visceral fat. You can find out if you are predisposed to type 2 diabetes and other disorders.
Your blood pressure, heart rate, and other vital signs can also be checked by your doctor. They also may examine samples of your blood or urine to acquire a thorough picture of your health.
The study is published in JAMA Network Open.
