What is the relationship between belly fat and Alzheimer's disease?
An American study warned that the accumulation of visceral fat in the abdominal area during middle age is linked to the development of Alzheimer's disease.
The researchers explained that this hidden abdominal fat is linked to changes in the brain for up to 15 years before the appearance of early memory loss symptoms of Alzheimer's disease, and the results were published, Monday, during the activities of the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America.
Visceral fat is the fat that surrounds the internal organs deep in the abdomen. According to the Alzheimer's Association of America, there are more than 6 million Americans living with Alzheimer's, and by 2050 that number is expected to rise to nearly 13 million. One in 5 women and one in 10 men will develop Alzheimer's disease in their lifetime.
To reach the results, the researchers monitored 54 participants who were in good cognitive health, between the ages of 40 and 60.
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Participants underwent brain MRI scans to monitor levels of amyloid and tau proteins, in addition to measurements of body mass index, and levels of glucose and insulin in the blood.
Amyloid is a natural protein found in the brain. However, in Alzheimer's disease, this protein accumulates in the form of yellow plaques on brain cells, and these plaques are thought to damage nerve cells and lead to loss of memory and other cognitive functions.
As for the tau protein, it helps stabilize microtubules in nerve cells, but in Alzheimer's disease, this protein accumulates in the form of threads that prevent the transfer of information between nerve cells and lead to nerve cell damage.
The volume of subcutaneous fat and visceral fat was measured using an abdominal MRI, and the researchers found that a higher percentage of visceral fat was associated with higher amyloid uptake in an area of the brain known to be affected early in Alzheimer's disease. This relationship was worse for men than for women. The researchers also found that higher visceral fat measurements are associated with an increased burden of inflammation in the brain.
For his part, Dr. Cyrus Raji, the lead researcher of the study at the University of Washington School of Medicine, said that these results have several key implications for the diagnosis and early intervention of Alzheimer's disease. He added on the “Eurek Alert” website, on Monday: “The study shows that visceral abdominal fat can cause changes in the brain as early as the age of 50, on average; That is, up to 15 years before symptoms of early memory loss associated with Alzheimer's appear. He noted that the findings may point to visceral fat as a therapeutic target to prevent the risk of encephalitis and dementia in the future.