A specific type of body fat that is associated with abnormal proteins in the brain, hallmarks of Alzheimer’s disease, can be identified up to 20 years before the first symptoms of dementia appear. The discovery, today at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA), suggests that modifying lifestyle to reduce this fat could influence the development of the disease.
The study, led by Mahsa Dolatshahi, of the Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology (MIR) at the University of Washingtonfocused on middle-aged people (between 40 and 50 years old), when Alzheimer’s pathology begins to develop.
According to Dolatshahi, modifications such as weight loss and reduction of visceral fat in these early stages may be more effective in preventing or delaying the onset of the disease.
The study included 80 cognitively normal people with a mean age of 49.4 years, of whom 57.5% were obese.
Participants underwent several tests, including positron emission tomography (PET) scans to measure the buildup of amyloid and tau, disease-associated proteins, MRIs to assess body fat, and metabolic analyses.
The results showed that high levels of visceral fat were related to an increase in amyloid in the brain, explaining 77% of the effect of high body mass index (BMI) on the accumulation of this protein. No relationship was found between other types of body fat and the pathology associated with Alzheimer’s.
The research also revealed that greater insulin resistance and low levels of HDL (the good) cholesterol were associated with a higher level of amyloid in the brain. However, the negative effects of visceral fat were partially reduced in people with higher HDL levels.
This study highlights the importance to address the metabolic and lipid problems associated with obesity in the prevention of Alzheimer’s.
Dolatshahi notes that by using MRIs to characterize body fat more accurately, new insights have been gained into how obesity can increase the risk of developing the disease.
Additionally, in another study that will also be presented at RSNA 2024, researchers have found that obesity and visceral fat reduce cerebral blood flow, which could have implications for the treatment and prevention of Alzheimer’s.
This work has a major impact on public health, as nearly three in four Americans are overweight or obese, underscoring the importance of treating obesity to reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s disease.
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