Weight Fluctuations in Older People Could Increase the Risk for Dementia

A study published in the British Medical Journal found older adults with fluctuating weight may increase their risk of dementia, reports ConsumerAffairs . "Severe weight gain, uncontrolled diabetes, smoking, and less physical activity in late-life had a detrimental effect on dementia development," the researchers noted. The team had more than 67,000 participants from the National Health Insurance Service-Health Screening Cohort record their body mass index (BMI) from 2002 through 2003, and again from 2004 through 2005. Following the second two-year monitoring period, participants were evaluated from 2008 through 2013 to assess their risk of dementia. Approximately 12,000 participants were diagnosed with dementia by the study's end, and the researchers observed a correlation between weight fluctuation and diagnoses. Participants whose BMI rose or declined by 10 percent over a two-year period were more likely to later develop dementia, and fasting blood sugar was another risk factor of a later dementia diagnosis. Subjects whose lifestyles included typically unhealthy habits like excessive drinking, little physical activity, and smoking also were more likely to later develop dementia. "Our results suggest that continuous weight control, disease management, and the maintenance of a healthy lifestyle are beneficial in the prevention of dementia, even in later life," the investigators concluded.