All news
Obesity linked to worsening cognitive health
August 21, 2012
Maintaining a healthy weight during mid-life could reduce your risk of rapid cognitive decline, new research suggests.
Obesity and metabolic abnormalities, such as high blood pressure and blood sugar, may increase the risk of cognitive decline, scientists say.
Researchers at the Inserm institute in France and University College London studied data on 6,401 people with an average age of 50 at the start of the study.
Participants' body mass index (BMI) and metabolic risk factors were recorded at the start of the study period and their cognitive function was assessed three times over the next ten years.
The researchers observed that individuals who were obese and had metabolic abnormalities had a 22.5 percent faster rate of cognitive decline than those who were a healthy weight and were metabolically normal.
Even obese individuals with no metabolic abnormalities faced an increase in their rate of cognitive decline.
Study author Dr Archana Singh-Manoux, whose findings are published in Neurology journal, said that more research is needed "to give us a better understanding of the link between obesity and cognitive function, such as thinking, reasoning and memory".
Shirley Cramer, chief executive of the charity Alzheimer's Research UK, said that the study provides "valuable insight" into possible risk factors for cognitive decline.
"We do not yet know why obesity and metabolic abnormality are linked to poorer brain performance but, with obesity levels on the rise, it will be important to delve a little deeper into this association," she added.
Private Health Insurance News
