Obesity Increases Alzheimer’s Risk by 80%

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Obesity Increases Alzheimer’s Risk by 80%

Obesity linked to problems of the heart and mind.

DEADLY DEMENTIA: A recent study indicates a clear connection between obesity and the risk of Alzheimer’s disease.

by Hilary Watts
Informify Staff Writer
May 14, 2008

Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form of dementia. It’s also the leading cause of death among the elderly in the United States. With no known cure, Alzheimer’s currently afflicts about 5 million people. Now it appears that weight management may play a significant role in keeping Alzheimer’s at bay.

Don’t Let Your BMI Go to Waist

People with a high body mass index (BMI) or waist circumference were more likely to develop dementia than those with a healthy BMI or waist size.

Scientists at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health recently published the results of their research:

They reviewed 10 existing studies analyzing the relationship between dementia and various body fat measurements in adults of at least middle age.
The studies were conducted in the U.S., Finland, Sweden and France, among other countries.
The studies contain data taken over the last 20 years.
A pooled analysis from seven of the studies showed that baseline obesity increased the risk of Alzheimer’s disease by an average of 80% compared to normal weight.
The same analysis also showed that being underweight also increased the risk of dementia.

Treat Obesity, Prevent Dementia

The new correlation between obesity—which is treatable—and dementia may help prevent Alzheimer’s disease, for which there is no known cure.

May A. Beydoun, a former postdoctoral research fellow at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, said, “While more studies are needed to determine optimal weight and biological mechanisms associated with obesity and dementia, these findings could potentially decrease the number of people diagnosed with dementia and lead to an overall better quality of life.” (Sun-Sentinel.com, 5/13/08)

Sources

Obesity linked to increased risk for dementia (Sun-Sentinel.com, 5/13/08)

Drugs Alone Don't Lower Heart Disease Risks for Overweight Americans (Health Day, 5/12/08)

U.S. obesity rates alarmingly high (Reuters India, 5/13/08)

MESA Study Looks At Obesity Rates In U.S., Heart Disease Risk (dbtechno.com, 5/12/08)

Question for Readers:

Do you think the obesity epidemic in the United States affects the health care industry?

Obesity Epidemic: Heart Disease on the Rise

The Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis studied 6,814 middle-aged or older Americans and found:

More than two-thirds of white, African American and Hispanic subjects were overweight and one-third to one-half were obese.
Only 33% of Chinese Americans were overweight and just 5% were obese.
Even after treating obese adults for high blood pressure, they still had more than twice the blood pressure rates of their normal-weight counterparts.
Even after treating obese adults for high cholesterol and diabetes, they had two to three times the abnormal lipids and diabetes rates as their normal-weight cohorts.
The study confirms obesity’s deadly impact on the heart and blood vessels, which increases the likelihood of heart disease.

What's the difference between OVERWEIGHT and OBESE?

Body Mass Index (BMI) measures body fat based on a person’s height and weight. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention make this distinction between “overweight” and “obese” for adults: