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Belly Fat, known precursor to heart disease and stroke, now linked to Alzheimer's Risk
Sometimes called "The Middle-Age Spread", a larger waistline caused by belly fat has been a known risk factor for cardiovascular disease (see Inches Trump Pounds) as well as linked to increased strokes among women (see Big Increase in middle-aged women's strokes linked to belly fat), and of course Diabetes, but a new study has discovered another reason why you might want to start paying a little more attention to that tape measure... people who have big bellies in their 40s are much more likely to get Alzheimer's and other forms of dementia in their 70s.
Published March 26 in the online journal Neurology, the research study paper found that of more than 6,000 people, the more fat they had around their midsection in their early to mid-40s, the greater their chances of becoming confused, forgetful and exhibiting other signals of senility as they aged. The subjects with the biggest stomachs faced more than twice the risk of the leanest.
The big surprise of the study was that belly fat increased the risk even among those who were not obese... not even overweight. "A large belly, independent of total weight, is a potent predictor of dementia," said Rachel A. Whitmer, a research scientist at the Kaiser Permanente Division of Research in Oakland, Calif., who led the new study.
Considering the massive increase in belly measurements in America (see Alarming Obesity Figures), it doesn't bode well for the future of the nation.
Lenore Launer of the National Institute on Aging commented on the study, saying: "If these findings are replicated and better understood, it looks like an unhealthy brain could be another consequence of this epidemic of obesity."
All the recent research seems to be providing evidence that abdomen fat, (called the Omentum) is the most dangerous fat of all. Scientists and doctors are discovering that belly fat cells are especially dangerous because of their close proximity to most of our major organs. This fat oozes toxic chemicals, increasing inflammation, constricting blood vessels and starting other processes that may also damage brain cells.
"There is a lot of work out there that suggests that the fat wrapped around your inner organs is much more metabolically active than other types of fat right under the skin," Whitmer said. "It's pumping out toxic substances. It's very potent toxic fat."
This kind of study was extremely lengthy and utilized the data from over 6,583 subjects and started in 1964 when they were in their 40's. Each person had their waistline measured and their belly fat carefully calculated. When the subjects began to hit their 70's (between 10994 and 2006), they were examined again.
The researchers discovered that the risk for dementia increased steadily with the amount of fat in the stomach. This increase also took into account possible other explanations like other diseases, bad habits and lower education.
The researchers used a complicated method for measuring fat known as sagittal abdominal diameter... basically, in laymen's terms, it worked out to a waist of at least 39 inches -- had the biggest bellies and the greatest risk.
Previous studies have shown that people who are overweight are at increased risk for dementia but that was based on BMI (Body Mass Index). The extremely interesting discovery was that people with big midsections were still nearly twice as likely to develop dementia, even if they had BMIs that were considered healthy. In fact, their risk was about the same as for those who were overweight or obese.
"What that tells you is the effect of the belly is over and above of being overweight. One of the take-home messages is it's not just your weight, but where you carry your weight in middle age, that is a strong predictor of dementia," Whitmer said.
Belly fat may increase the risk for dementia in the same ways it promotes heart disease -- by boosting blood pressure and constricting blood flow. It may also promote the accumulation of amyloid, a substance found in the brains of Alzheimer's patients.
"We think the buildup and clumping of this material is an important risk factor," said Sam Gandy of the Mount Sinai School of Medicine, who chairs the Alzheimer's Association's medical and scientific advisory council. Previous research has found that people who are obese have higher levels of amyloid in their blood, he said.
Certainly more research is needed, but we must begin to modify our lifestyles or be prepared to slip away into eventual brain death.
