You are subscribed to slimming diets ? Are you looking to lose weight permanently, you never find yourself thin enough? Caution: according to a new study conducted jointly by Massachusetts General Hospital and Brigham and Women’s Hospital (in the United States), morebody mass index (BMI) is lower, the higher the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease.
This work was carried out in collaboration with 280 volunteers, men and women aged 62 to 90. The scientists compared the participants’ BMI with the number of amyloid plaques present in their brains.
Amyloid plaques are composed of beta amyloid proteins: naturally present in the brain, these accumulate over time under the influence of various genetic and environmental factors, until they form plaques, also called “senile plaques”. However, according to the theory of the “amyloid cascade”, this phenomenon would be toxic for the hippocampus, a cerebral structure which constitutes the seat of short-term memory… This is the Alzheimer’s disease.
Toxic amyloid plaques
Through this observation, scientists found that the lower the body mass index, the higher the number of amyloid plaques. “Of course, it’s not a systematic relationship,” they add. However, it is a risk factor that should not be overlooked: seniors with a low BMI (less than 18.5) should be monitored more closely. As a reminder, the body mass index is calculated as follows: weight (in kg) divided by height (in meters) squared.
Warning: from the age of 60, a body mass index that is too high (over 25) is also bad for your health. THE overweight and obesity increase the risk of developing sleep disorders, cardiovascular problems… and Alzheimer’s disease.
This study was published in the specialist journal Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease.
