Excessive Visceral Fat May Indicate Alzheimer’s Up to Two Decades Prior to Symptoms: Research
Click to start listening
New Delhi, Dec 2 (NationPress) A team of researchers in the United States has identified a connection between excess visceral fat, also known as visceral fat, and the presence of abnormal proteins in the brain, which are characteristic of Alzheimer’s disease. Visceral fat is the fat that accumulates around vital internal organs such as the liver, heart, kidneys, and the mesentery of the intestine. In contrast to subcutaneous fat, which is found just beneath the skin, visceral fat is metabolically active and poses serious health risks.
This research was presented at the ongoing annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) and revealed that visceral fat could predict the likelihood of developing Alzheimer’s as much as 20 years before any noticeable symptoms of dementia arise.
The study involved 80 cognitively healthy individuals in midlife, with an average age of 49.4 years. Of these participants, approximately 57.5 percent were classified as obese, and the average body mass index (BMI) was recorded at 32.31.
Researchers from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, Missouri, investigated the relationships between BMI, visceral fat, subcutaneous fat, liver fat fraction, thigh fat, muscle mass, insulin resistance, and HDL (the good cholesterol) with respect to amyloid and tau deposition related to Alzheimer’s disease.
The findings indicated that higher levels of visceral fat corresponded to an increase in amyloid levels, which accounted for 77 percent of the effect of elevated BMI on amyloid accumulation.
Other types of fat did not account for the obesity-related increase in Alzheimer’s pathology, the research team noted.
“Our research demonstrated that elevated visceral fat was linked to higher levels of PET imaging of the two pathological proteins associated with Alzheimer’s disease—amyloid and tau,” stated the lead author, Mahsa Dolatshahi, a post-doctoral research associate at the Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology at Washington University.
The study also found that increased insulin resistance and lower HDL levels were associated with heightened amyloid presence in the brain. The impact of visceral fat on amyloid pathology was partially mitigated in individuals who had higher HDL levels.
The research team advocated for lifestyle changes aimed at reducing belly fat to help decrease the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease.
“This study enhances our understanding beyond BMI, allowing for a more precise characterization of body fat using MRI, thereby providing valuable insights into why obesity may elevate the risk for Alzheimer’s disease,” concluded Dr. Dolatshahi.
