A Complex Link Between Body Mass Index and Alzheimer's

An Ohio State University (OSU) study in the Journals of Gerontology Series A suggests that a high body mass index (BMI) later in life does not necessarily elevate the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease, reports Ohio State News . The investigators compared data from two groups of people who had been diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment, of whom half developed Alzheimer's in 24 months and half did not deteriorate further. Analysis indicated that a higher genetic risk plus a lower BMI was linked to a higher likelihood for progression to Alzheimer's, and that the association was strongest in men. The researchers suspect that lower BMI in these patients was likely an effect of neurodegeneration. "We think there's interaction between the genetics and lower BMI, and having both of these risk factors causes more degeneration in certain brain regions to increase the likelihood of developing Alzheimer's disease," said OSU's Jena Moody.