Cindy's Blog

IS INCREASED ABDOMINAL FAT RELATED TO DEVELOPING DEMENTIA?

I came across an article in Medical News Today (www.medicalnewstoday.com) about a recent study published in Annals of Neurology. Dr. Susanne Sorensen headed this study at the University School of Medicine in Boston of more than 700 middle aged people with increased amounts of abdominal fat. They did find an inverse association between the visceral fat levels in the abdomen and total brain volume. The higher the amount of visceral fat, the lower the total brain volume and when brain volume shrinks, it's a strong predictor of dementia. They point out though, that when people carry excess abdominal fat, they are also at much higher risk for high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes--and these are all major risk factors for getting a dementia. While more studies are required to say definitively that increased abdominal fat leads to dementia, we need to keep studies like this in mind when we're concerned about "inheriting" Alzheimer's Disease. We need to continually associate in our minds the fact that if we don't watch our weight, our blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood sugar levels, we're at much higher risk for shortening that journey to dementia.

Alzheimer's and Dementia Counseling and Education
call Cindy Keith of M.I.N.D. in Memory Care
(814)-235-0691
keithc@mindinmemorycare.com

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