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High BMI may be a risk factor for dementia in women

Physician Practice Advisor, December 13, 2004

Women who are obese throughout life are more likely to lose brain tissue, according to a study published in the November 23 issue of Neurology, the scientific journal of the American Academy of Neurology. Loss of brain tissue has been linked to cognitive decline.

Researchers in Sweden studied the relationship between body mass index (BMI) and brain atrophy (loss of brain tissue) in 290 women. The women were born between 1908 and 1922 and had four follow-up examinations between 1968 and 1992. During the final exam, they had a computed tomography (CT) scan to measure for any loss of brain tissue.

An overweight (25-29 kg/m2) or obese (30+ kg/m2) BMI was linked to a loss of tissue in the temporal lobe. Nearly 50% (144) of the women had temporal atrophy. At the time of CT scan, their BMI was an average of 27 kg/m2, which was 1.1 to 1.5 kg/m2 higher than the women without brain atrophy. Overall, the women's BMI increased over the 24-year period, but the increase was greater for those who lost tissue in the temporal lobe. The risk of atrophy increased 13-16% per 1.0 kg/m2 increase in BMI.

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