- Visceral fat in the belly was found to be associated with higher levels of proteins that impede brain communication.
- Researchers say developing ways to assess visceral fat could aid in early detection of Alzheimer’s.
- Experts say reducing belly fat may help lower the risk of developing Alzheimer’s.
Middle-aged adults who have visceral fat surrounding their internal organs in their belly may be at higher risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease.
Having such fat deposits could trigger changes in the brain related to Alzheimer’s up to 15 years before symptoms of the neurological disease appear — and as early as age 50 — according to research presented at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America.
The findings have not yet been published in a peer-reviewed journal.
In their study, researchers sought to identify associations between amyloid and tau proteins — known to interfere with cellular communication in the brain — with high body mass index (BMI) scores, obesity, insulin resistance, and fatty abdominal tissue in middle-aged individuals who had no signs of cognitive issues.
Researchers led by Dr. Mahsa Dolatshahi, a post-doctoral research fellow with Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology (MIR) at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, previously
Higher levels of visceral fat also were associated with increased inflammation in the brain, those researchers reported.
In the new study, the relationship between belly fat and Alzheimer’s was found to be stronger in men than among women.
“Even though there have been other studies linking BMI with brain atrophy…
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