Ever Wondered If Body Fat Affects Your Brain?

Abdominal fat may have a more significant impact on brain health and cognition in middle-aged men at high risk of Alzheimer’s disease compared to women. Published in the journal Obesity, the study, led by Michal Schnaider Beeri, director of the Herbert and Jacqueline Krieger Klein Alzheimer’s Research Center at Rutgers Brain Health Institute, and Ph.D. student Sapir Golan Shekhtman from the Joseph Sagol Neuroscience Center at Sheba Medical Center in Israel, sheds light on the correlation between abdominal fat and brain volumes, as well as cognitive function, particularly in individuals with a family history of Alzheimer’s disease (1).

Can Visceral Fat Impact Your Brain?

The research, which focused on 204 healthy middle-aged offspring of Alzheimer’s-dementia parents, utilized MRI scans to assess fat depots in the pancreas, liver, and abdomen. Results showed that higher levels of pancreatic fat were associated with lower cognition and brain volumes in middle-aged men at high risk of Alzheimer’s disease, but not in women, suggesting a potential sex-specific link between abdominal fat distribution and brain health.

Gender Disparity in How Body Fat Affects Your Brain Health

While obesity is a known risk factor for cognitive decline and dementia, the study emphasizes the need to consider sex differences when evaluating these associations. Traditional measures like body mass index (BMI) may not accurately reflect the distribution of body fat or account for sex-specific differences. Instead, the study suggests that focusing on abdominal fat depots could provide a more accurate indicator of obesity-related cognitive risks.

Personalized Approach To Lower Dementia Risk in Middle-Aged Adults

The findings underscore the importance of exploring the interplay between fat distribution, brain aging, and cognition, with implications for targeted interventions and personalized approaches to mitigate the impact of abdominal fat on brain health. By challenging conventional methods of assessing obesity-related cognitive risks and highlighting sex-specific differences, the research offers new insights into potential strategies for preserving cognitive function and reducing dementia risk in middle-aged adults at high risk of Alzheimer’s disease.

References:

1. Abdominal fat depots are related to lower cognitive functioning and brain volumes in middle-aged males at high Alzheimer’s risk
   
   https://doi.org/10.1002/oby.24004

Source-Medindia