Belly fat in older adults linked with cognitive impairment

  • A large Irish study found that belly fat was linked to poorer cognition in older adults, while BMI was not, probably because it doesn't distinguish between muscle and fat.

Data from over 5,000 individuals found that a measure of belly fat (waist:hip ratio) was associated with reduced cognitive function in older Irish adults (60+). Body mass index (BMI), however, was found to protect cognitive function.

BMI is a crude measure of body fat and cannot differentiate between fat and muscle — the muscle component is likely to be the protective factor.

Research indicates that as we age, our fat becomes less efficient at producing a hormone that helps support the growth and survival of neurons and helps regulate their activity.

That hormone is adiponectin, which is made by fat cells, circulates in our blood and enters our brain. Inside fat cells, its production is regulated by PPAR-γ (peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma).

Adiponectin is anti-inflammatory and can help regulate neuronal activity, including turning activity of some neurons up and others down. However, adiponectin is reduced in Alzheimer’s patients. Delivering adiponectin to the brain has been shown to improve cognition in mice.

Chronic stress can also decrease fat's production of PPAR-γ and adiponectin.

Fat cells become less efficient at making adiponectin in obesity, and with age. One theory is that fat cells start making inflammation-promoting signals called cytokines and this inflammation then inhibits adiponectin production.

The shift from beneficial subcutaneous fat to unhealthy fat that piles up on our bellies and around the organs inside our abdominal cavity is one that naturally occurs with age, but it is of course worse if you have a lot of excess weight around your abdomen.

Genetic variations in PPAR-γ and adiponectin as well as low blood levels of adiponectin are associated with an increased Alzheimer's risk.

https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2018-08/tcd-mob080118.php

Reference: 

[4517] Ntlholang, O., McCarroll K., Laird E., Molloy A. M., Ward M., McNulty H., et al.
(2018).  The relationship between adiposity and cognitive function in a large community-dwelling population: data from the Trinity Ulster Department of Agriculture (TUDA) ageing cohort study.
British Journal of Nutrition. 120(5), 517 - 527.

Related News

Cholesterol levels linked to amyloid plaques in brain

A study involving 74 older adults (70+), of whom 3 had mild dementia, 33 were cognitively normal and 38 had mild cognitive impairment, has found that high levels of "good" cholesterol and low levels of "bad" cholesterol correlated with lower levels of the amyloid-beta plaques in the brain (a hal
Large waist linked to poor health even when BMI healthy

Data from 11 different cohort studies, involving more than 600,000 people from around the world, has found that:
Supplements don’t reduce risk of cardiovascular disease in elderly

Data from AREDS2, involving 4,203 older adults with age-related macular degeneration, has found that daily dietary supplements of either omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (also found in fish) or lutein and zeaxanthin (nutrients found in green leafy vegetables) were not associated with reduced

Tart cherry juice improves sleep for insomniacs

A small trial involving seven older adults with insomnia has found that when they consumed 8 ounces of tart cherry juice twice daily for two weeks, they were able to sleep more than an hour longer each night (averaging 84 minutes) compared to when they took the placebo, and their sleep tended to
Heart disease risk linked with spouses' social support

A study in which 136 older couples (average age 63) filled out questionnaires measuring their overall marriage quality and their perceived support from their spouse, has found that calcification in the coronary arteries was highest when both partners in the relationship viewed each other as offe
Preventing major depression in adults with mild symptoms

Previous research has indicated that about a quarter of older adults who become mildly depressed will go on to become seriously depressed within a year or two.
New cause of high blood pressure and heart disease discovered

Two studies help explain why kidney disease increases the risk of cardiovascular diseases such as high blood pressure and vascular calcification. The mediator seems to be a hormone called FGF23, which is sensitive to the level of phosphates in the body.
How stress increases your risk for stroke and heart attack

A study in which 157 healthy adult volunteers were asked to regulate their emotional reactions to unpleasant pictures, has found that those who showed greater brain activation when regulating their negative emotions also had higher blood levels of interleukin-6 (a marker for inflammation) and in
Oxidants not all bad?

A finding that free radicals promote longevity in the roundworm challenges the theory that free radicals (oxidants) are damaging and cause aging.
Diabetes duration and severity associated with brain atrophy

A study involving 614 patients with type 2 diabetes (mean age 62) has found that longer duration of diabetes was associated with more brain volume loss, particularly in the gray matter.

Pages

more
Subscribe to Latest newsSubscribe to Latest newsSubscribe to Latest health newsSubscribe to Latest news