Does Waist Size Predict Dementia Risk?

A study of older Asian adults in Obesity found a correlation between excess waist and brain atrophy, reports Medical News Today . An earlier study in the British Journal of Nutrition suggested an association between belly fat and poorer cognitive function. Some research considered body mass index (BMI) or waist-to-hip ratio, with certain studies finding a higher BMI elevates the risk of dementia while others observed the opposite effect. The latest study involved 872,082 participants, 65 and older, who were followed from 2009 till 2015 or until they developed dementia. Subjects whose waist circumference was equal to or higher than 90 centimeters for men and 85 centimeters for women were at a notably higher risk of dementia. A slightly higher dementia risk for underweight participants was only observed after accounting for "other comorbidities" and lifestyle factors. "For all the physicians who deal with geriatric medicine, obesity, and dementia, this study emphasizes that waist circumference should be considered in the assessment of obesity-related dementia risk in seniors," said Korea University Guro Hospital Professor Hye Jin Yoo.