Measure of Belly Fat in Older Adults Is Linked With Cognitive Impairment

A study published in the British Journal of Nutrition used data from more than 5,000 individuals to determine an association between a measure of belly fat and reduced cognitive function in older Irish adults, reports ScienceDaily . The data was taken from the Trinity Ulster Department of Agriculture aging cohort study. The researchers learned that a higher waist:hip ratio was tied to reduced cognitive function, which could be explained by a greater secretion of inflammatory markers by belly fat. However, body mass index was found to safeguard cognitive function, suggesting the fat-free mass component is likely to be the protective factor. In view of the high prevalence of overweight and obesity in the older population and the economic and social burden of cognitive dysfunction, the study's results imply that reducing obesity and exposure to obeso-genic risk factors could be a cost-effective public health strategy for the prevention of cognitive decline. "While we have known for some time that obesity is associated with negative health consequences our study adds to emerging evidence suggesting that obesity and where we deposit our excess weight could influence our brain health," says Trinity Professor Conal Cunningham. "This has significant public health implications."