Midlife belly fat is linked to elevated Alzheimer’s biomarkers decades later
Tracking body fat over a 35-year period reveals that excess belly fat in midlife is linked to a higher risk of Alzheimer’s disease decades later. However, the relationship reverses in old age as cognitive decline alters metabolism.
A new study published in Neurology reveals a link between carrying excess belly fat in midlife and elevated Alzheimer's biomarkers, increasing the risk of dementia decades later. Researchers at the Norwegian National Centre for Ageing and Health conducted the large-scale study, analyzing data from 8,797 participants aged nearly 78 years old.
The investigation tracked body mass index and waist-to-height ratio across four and three measurement periods, respectively, between 1984 and 2019. Blood samples were collected from participants in 2017-2019 to measure p-tau217 levels, a protein fragment that breaks off when tau proteins in the brain become abnormally phosphorylated, leading to tangles and plaque buildup associated with Alzheimer's disease.
The findings indicate that midlife obesity and a high waist-to-height ratio were associated with a nearly 13% higher concentration of p-tau217 and an 84% increased risk of developing Alzheimer's dementia compared to individuals with lower midlife waist-to-height ratios. However, the relationship between body fat and the disease completely reversed in late life, with participants who carried excess weight in their 70s and beyond showing lower levels of the p-tau217 biomarker and a reduced risk of Alzheimer's dementia in comparison to their peers with lower body weight.
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