If this is your first visit, be sure to check out the FAQ by clicking the link above. You may have to register before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages, select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below. |
|
|
Thread Tools | Display Modes |
#1
|
|||
|
|||
Study Reveals Link Between Obesity and Dementia
If your waistline is expanding, your brain could be shrinking -
especially if you are a middle-aged woman. Results of a study conducted by researchers at the Medical College of Wisconsin and Göteborg University in Sweden reveal that women who are overweight throughout middle to later life are more likely to lose brain tissue, which is linked to dementia. "This study indicates that a high BMI is a risk factor for dementia in women," says Deborah Gustafson, PhD, of the Department of Family and Community Medicine. A growing body of scientific evidence indicates obesity can be detrimental to overall health, but this is the first study to show a higher BMI is related to brain atrophy, particularly of the temporal lobe. The temporal lobe, which is often affected in Alzheimer's disease, plays a role in memory, verbal expression and language comprehension. "This is the first study to look at a measure of overweight and obesity over a lengthy period of time," Dr. Gustafson said. The study began in 1968 and four follow-up examinations were done on the women between 1968 and 1992. What does this study mean to the average woman? "Women should know that vascular risk factors, such as overweight and obesity, are important not only for cardiovascular health during mid- and later life, but for the latest periods of life as well, and potentially for dementing disorders," Dr. Gustafson said. "We are too comfortable with being overweight in the US, eating too much food, and not getting enough exercise. We should all be able to improve our vascular risk profile to some extent, through better eating habits - better quality and reduced quantity - and more exercise," she said. If the present epidemic of obesity continues, it might lead to a boom of dementia in the future. "It is clear that leading a healthy lifestyle could help to reduce the risks of dementia," Dr. Gustafson said. For the full story, go to: http://healthlink.mcw.edu/content/ar...031002537.html |
Thread Tools | |
Display Modes | |
|
|