Tobacco, alcohol, diabetes and obesity would be associated with a reduction in the volume of certain parts of the brain, which could also be an early marker of Alzheimer’s disease. In any case, this is what emerges from a study which has just been published in the professional journal Radiology.
“We already know that vascular risk factors damage the brain and can lead to cognitive impairment,” said Kevin King, assistant professor of radiology at the University of Southern California School of Medicine. “But our results give us a more concrete idea of the relationship between specific vascular risk factors and brain health.”
For their study, the researchers reviewed the medical records of more than 1,600 patients, half of whom were over the age of 50 and the other half under the age of 50. They followed them for 7 years and then gave them a brain MRI and cognitive tests to measure any mild cognitive impairment or early signs of Alzheimer’s disease.
“We looked at three main brain regions including the hippocampus, precuneus and posterior cingulate cortex, because of their connection with memory retrieval,” adds the doctor.
By comparing the results with the identified vascular risk factors, the researchers found that these risk factors were linked to lower cognitive test scores. The study revealed that the alcohol consumption And diabetes were associated with smaller brain volume, while smoking and obesity were associated with reduced volume in the posterior cingulate cortex, the region of the brain linked to memory retrieval as well as emotional and social behavior.
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