Big Waist and High BMI Associated With Brain Thinning Linked to Dementia

According to new research, older adults with a big waist and high BMI may be more likely to display signs of brain aging that have been linked to dementia, reports Newsweek . The research team studied almost 1,300 adults, measuring waist circumference and BMI before following up six years later, repeating the measurements and issuing brain scans. The team found that a higher BMI tended to correlate with a thinner cortex, a common sign of Alzheimer's. Each unit increase in BMI was found to accompany a 0.098 millimeter thinner cortex, though that number jumped to 0.207 millimeters for obese participants. "These associations were especially strong in those who were younger than 65, which adds weight to the theory that having poor health indicators in mid-life may increase the risk for brain aging and problems with memory and thinking skills in later life," said study co-author Dr. Tatjiana Rundek. She also said that the study reveals obesity may speed up brain aging by a decade or more, but affirmed that, equally, losing weight can contribute to a healthier brain for older adults.