From Vitasearch:
| Summary# | 46132 |
| Topic: | Links between Obesity, Dementia and Alzheimer’s disease |
| Keywords: | OBESITY, DEMENTIA, ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE - Body Mass Index, Weight, Overweight, Underweight, Waist Circumference, Skin-fold thickness |
| Reference: | “Obesity and central obesity as risk factors for incident dementia and its subtypes: a systematic review and meta-analysis,” Beydoun MA, Beydoun HA, Wang Y, Obes Rev, 2008 Mar 6; [Epub ahead of print]. (Address: Center for Human Nutrition, Department of International Health, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, 615 North Wolfe Street, Baltimore, Maryland 21205, USA. E-mail: Youfa Wang, ywang@jhsph.edu ). |
| Summary: | In a systematic review and meta-analysis of studies elucidating the association between measures of adiposity (BMI, waist circumference, skin-fold thickness) and dementia, a moderate association was found between obesity and risks for dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. The authors searched PubMed and identified 10 prospective cohort studies involving subjects aged 40-80 years of age at baseline. A significant U-shaped association was found between BMI and dementia, showing an increased risk of dementia in both obese subjects and underweight subjects. The pooled odds ratio for incident dementia were 1.36 for underweight, 0.88 for overweight, and 1.42 for obese subjects, compared with normal weight subjects. In obese subjects, the pooled odds ratio for incident Alzheimer’s disease was 1.80 and 1.73 for vascular dementia. All the studies showed an increased risk of dementia with an increase in waist circumference or an increase in skin-fold thickness. Considering the “alarming rise in obesity” in industrialized countries, as well as the prevalence of dementia (6-10% of persons over 65 years of age), the results of this meta-analysis add to the significant body of evidence linking obesity to a variety of disease states. The authors conclude, “The meta-analysis shows a moderate association between obesity and the risks for dementia and AD. Future studies are needed to understand optimal weight and biological mechanisms.” |
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