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Middle-aged men are at the highest risk. Researchers warn that increases in abdominal fat can accelerate brain aging and harm cognitive function. Large fat deposits in the pancreas and liver may hide a high risk of developing dementia.
What Researchers Discovered
Scientists analyzed health data from 204 middle-aged men and women who had a family history of Alzheimer’s disease, according to the Daily Mail. The team found that men with larger amounts of abdominal fat showed greater cognitive impairments than other participants.
Earlier studies found that men with a high body mass index (BMI) often have an increased risk of developing dementia.
Michał Schneider-Biry of Rutgers Health in New Jersey said, “In middle-aged men at high risk for Alzheimer’s disease (but not in women), higher levels of fat in the pancreas were associated with lower cognitive abilities and reduced brain volume.” That suggests a possible gender-specific link between types of abdominal fat and brain health.
Sapir Golan Shechtman, his colleague at Shiba Medical Center in Israel, added, “Our results indicate stronger correlations compared to the relationships between BMI and cognitive abilities.” They say that fat deposits in the abdominal cavity, rather than BMI, are a more significant risk factor for cognitive decline, including dementia.
The findings of the study were published in the journal Obesity.
What Else Is Known About the Threat of Fat Deposits
The portal “50+” previously reported on the dangers of visceral fat — excess fat around the torso and vital organs. This type of fat fuels the “beer belly” and the risky “apple” body shape.
Researchers have identified visceral fat as the most dangerous type of fat, because it causes fatty acids to leak into the bloodstream.
This differs from the less harmful subcutaneous fat, which accumulates just beneath the skin and contributes to conditions like cellulite.
One previous study involving over 2.5 million people showed that every additional 10 centimeters of waist circumference is associated with an 11% increase in the risk of premature death from any cause.
Numerous studies have also shown that waist size is a more reliable indicator of obesity and a greater contributor to the development of type 2 diabetes and heart disease than body mass index.
Meanwhile, wider hips have been linked to longer lifespans.
