People with high levels of body fat stored in the belly or arms may be more likely to develop neurodegenerative conditions.
- Adults with high levels of abdominal fat are 13% more likely to suffer from Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease than those with low levels of abdominal fat.
- Patients with high levels of arm fat also have an 18% increased risk of developing neurodegenerative diseases.
- However, people with high muscle strength were 26% less likely to develop dementia.
“Growing evidence links various components of body composition (e.g., fat, muscle, and bone) to neurodegenerative disease risk, but their interaction remains underexplored.” This is what researchers from Sichuan University in Chengdu (China) wrote in the introduction to their study published in the journal Neurology. They therefore decided to look into the matter.
To carry out their work, the team recruited 412,691 people, with an average age of 56. They were followed for an average of nine years. At the start of the intervention, measurements were taken for body composition, such as waist and hip measurements, grip strength, bone density, and fat and lean mass. According to the data, 8,224 adults developed neurodegenerative diseases, mainly Alzheimer’s disease, other forms of dementia, and Parkinson’s disease during the research.
Dementia: 18% higher risk with high arm fat levels
Male volunteers with high levels of belly fat developed neurodegenerative diseases at a rate of 3.38 cases per 1,000 person-years, compared with 1.82 cases per 1,000 person-years for those with low levels of belly fat. In women, the rates were 2.55 for high levels and 1.39 for low levels. “Person-years represent both the number of people participating in the study and the amount of time each person spends in the study.”
After accounting for other factors that could influence disease rates, such as high blood pressure, smoking and alcohol abuse, and diabetes, the authors found that overall, participants with high levels of abdominal fat were 13% more likely to develop dementia than those with low levels of abdominal fat. The same was true for patients with high levels of arm fat. They were 18% more likely to suffer from neurodegenerative diseases. In contrast, volunteers with high muscle strength were 26% less likely to have Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and other forms of dementia.
Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s: “manage cardiovascular diseases immediately” to prevent dementia
Scientists believe the link between body composition and neurodegenerative diseases is partly explained by the onset of cardiovascular diseases, such as heart disease and stroke, after monitoring begins. “This underscores the importance of managing these cardiovascular diseases immediately to help prevent or delay the development of Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, or other neurodegenerative diseases. (…) Targeted interventions aimed at reducing belly and arm fat while promoting healthy muscle development may be more effective in protecting against these diseases than general weight control,” concluded Huan Songlead author of the study.
