Obesity has been linked to various diseases and health concerns, including cardiovascular disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, depression, and cancer. Previous studies have also found a correlation between obesity and Alzheimer’s disease. A new study led by researchers at The Neuro (Montreal Neurological Institute-Hospital) of McGill University has now found a potential risk mechanism through which obesity may increase Alzheimer’s disease risk.
According to Dr. Filip Morys, a postdoctoral researcher at The Neuro, obesity has negative effects on the brain, mostly in terms of neurodegeneration. Obesity itself, as well as related comorbidities such as type 2 diabetes, hypertension, or dyslipidemia, might lead to neuronal loss, Dr. Morys explained. Obesity is much more than just a number on a scale or some physical appearance, it is a multi-complex, multi-system disease with broad effects, said Dr. Scott Kaiser, a geriatrician and Director of Geriatric Cognitive Health for the Pacific Neuroscience Institute at Providence Saint John’s Health Center in Santa Monica, CA.
The study, published in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease, found that the type of neurodegeneration caused by obesity is similar to the type causing Alzheimer’s disease. Researchers believe losing weight could potentially slow cognitive decline as a person ages and lower their risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease.
Dr. Karen D. Sullivan, a board-certified neuropsychologist and creator of I CARE FOR YOUR BRAIN, said that increased body mass, high body fat percentage, and waist-to-hip ratio are related to cognitive impairment in older adults and a risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease. Dr. Sullivan explained that a confound in previous data was the known metabolic changes that often, but not always, accompany obesity, such as diabetes, high blood pressure, and lipid disorders. These metabolic changes result in cerebrovascular changes and neurodegeneration in specific parts of the brain that mimic the pattern of Alzheimer’s disease and all have been linked to an increase in Alzheimer’s disease-related brain pathology.
The study by Dr. Morys and his team compared patterns of gray matter atrophy in patients with obesity or Alzheimer’s disease. Using a sample of more than 1,300 individuals, they compared patients with Alzheimer’s disease to healthy controls and obese individuals with lean individuals. The analysis found that both obesity and Alzheimer’s disease affected the loss of gray matter brain cells, also known as cortical thinning, in similar ways. For example, researchers found cortical thinning in both the right temporoparietal cortex and left prefrontal cortex were similar in both groups.
In conclusion, obesity is a multi-complex, multi-system disease with broad effects on the body and brain, and it has been linked to various diseases and health concerns, including Alzheimer’s disease. The new study led by researchers at The Neuro has found that obesity-related neurodegeneration patterns are visually similar to the ones in Alzheimer’s disease. Losing weight could potentially slow cognitive decline and lower a person’s risk for Alzheimer’s disease.
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