Does body fat affect your risk of Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s?
People with high levels of body fat stored in their belly or arms may be more likely to develop diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s
Neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s affect over 60 million people worldwide, and that number is expected to grow as the population ages. (CREDIT: Creative Commons)
You may be at a higher risk of developing diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s if you have high levels of body fat in your belly or arms. This connection comes from a study published in Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. Interestingly, the study also found that higher muscle strength might lower your risk of these neurodegenerative diseases.
“These neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s affect over 60 million people worldwide, and that number is expected to grow as the population ages, so it’s crucial that we identify ways to modify risk factors to develop some preventive tools,” said Huan Song, MD, PhD, from Sichuan University in Chengdu, China.
“This study highlights the potential to lessen people’s risk of developing these diseases by improving their body composition. Targeted interventions to reduce trunk and arm fat while promoting healthy muscle development may be more effective for protection against these diseases than general weight control,” she continued.
The study tracked 412,691 individuals, with an average age of 56, over approximately nine years. Researchers collected initial data on body composition, including waist and hip measurements, grip strength, bone density, and fat and lean mass.
During the follow-up period, 8,224 participants developed neurodegenerative diseases, primarily Alzheimer’s, other forms of dementia, and Parkinson’s. Men with high belly fat levels developed these diseases at a rate of 3.38 per 1,000 person-years, compared to 1.82 cases for those with low belly fat. For women, the rates were 2.55 for high belly fat and 1.39 for low belly fat. Person-years account for both the number of people in the study and the duration of their participation.
After adjusting for variables like high blood pressure, smoking, drinking, and diabetes, researchers concluded that high belly fat levels increased the risk of neurodegenerative diseases by 13% compared to low belly fat levels. High arm fat levels raised the risk by 18%.
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Conversely, high muscle strength appeared to reduce the risk of these diseases by 26% compared to low muscle strength. The study suggested that this relationship between body composition and neurodegenerative diseases is partly due to the development of cardiovascular diseases, such as heart disease and stroke, during the study.
“This underscores the importance of managing these cardiovascular diseases right away to help prevent or delay the development of Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, or other degenerative diseases,” Song emphasized.
However, the study had some limitations. Most participants were white and from the United Kingdom, so the findings might not apply to other populations.
Overall, improving body composition by reducing fat and increasing muscle strength might be key in lowering your risk of Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.
Note: Materials provided above by The Brighter Side of News. Content may be edited for style and length.
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