The first study to assess the association between alzheimer’s disease A significant relationship was found between weight and body weight.
Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, Missouri, found that blood biomarkers for Alzheimer’s disease increase 95% faster in patients with Alzheimer’s disease. obese person than non-obese people.
The study, presented Tuesday at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) in Chicago, examined five years of data, including PET scans (medical images) and blood samples, from 407 participants in the Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative.
Study Finds Just One Daily Habit Could Dramatically Slow the Decline in Alzheimer’s Disease
According to a press release, researchers evaluated the association between Alzheimer’s disease biomarkers and body mass index (BMI).
When participants were first measured, they found that the higher the BMI, the lower the blood biomarkers of Alzheimer’s disease due to blood dilution. higher weight Blood volume is often increased.
However, when researchers followed the same participants over time, they found that those with obesity had a greater burden of Alzheimer’s disease than those without obesity.
New vitamin compound holds promise for reversing brain damage caused by Alzheimer’s disease
Analysis of how Alzheimer’s disease biomarkers matched PET scan results pointed to amyloid plaque buildup. in the brain — Core features of the most common types of dementia.
In an interview with Fox News Digital, the study authors discussed the implications of these findings.
For more health stories, click here
“Our study shows that over a five-year period, obesity is associated with a steady increase in Alzheimer’s disease-related pathology,” said lead author Dr. Sohail Mohammadi, a postdoctoral fellow at the Mallinckrodt Institute for Radiology, part of WashU Medicine.
“What surprised me was how sensitive the blood biomarkers were at detecting this relationship. They were more accurate at capturing subtle changes.” brain image processing. ”
Click here to sign up for our health newsletter
The study’s senior author, Cyrus Raj, Ph.D., an associate professor of radiology and neurology at the University of Washington, noted that the progression of Alzheimer’s disease is “influenced by medical conditions occurring throughout the body, such as obesity.”
“It’s important to maintain brain health by optimizing it.” body health Similarly,” he said.
Recent clinical trials (EVOKE and EVOKE+) are investigating whether GLP-1 drugs such as semaglutide (Ozempic) can slow cognitive decline in people who have already been diagnosed with early Alzheimer’s disease.
“Although the recent Evok trial did not show Ozempic to be effective in treating Alzheimer’s disease, our study should provide motivation.” Future trials “We aim to determine whether this class of drugs can help prevent Alzheimer’s disease by treating obesity early in life,” said Raji. “Caregivers and clinicians are important partners in making trials like this possible.”
One of the study’s limitations, Mohammadi said, is the fact that not all body fat carries a risk of Alzheimer’s disease.
“Our previous research has shown that abdominal fat, rather than subcutaneous fat, is responsible for many of the effects of obesity on the brain,” he said. “Future research should distinguish between these types of fat, rather than treating obesity as a single category.”
Dr. Mark Siegel, a senior medical analyst at Fox News who was not involved in the study, said he considers it a “very important study.”
“I think this finding makes perfect sense because obesity directly causes inflammation and irritation. insulin resistance“This causes neuroinflammation, which is one of the pillars of Alzheimer’s disease development,” he told Fox News Digital.
The researchers noted some limitations to the study.
Study samples are relatively small and specific and may not be representative of the general population. Additionally, BMI measurements cannot distinguish between fat and muscle mass or reflect differences in fat distribution, which can affect Alzheimer’s disease risk.
The researchers noted that the study also relied on observational data, and while it could reveal an association, it could not prove that obesity directly causes the progression of Alzheimer’s disease.
Test yourself with our latest lifestyle quiz
Other risk factors that often coincide with obesity — such as diabeteshypertension, and inflammation may also contribute to changes in Alzheimer’s disease biomarkers.
This initial study prompted the need for larger studies with more diverse populations and longer follow-up.
