Midsection Fat May Lead to Dementia in Women

Middle-aged women with excess belly fat have an increased risk later in life of Alzheimer’s and other diseases that cause dementia, researchers claim.  The study suggests  women bigger around in the waist than in the hips have more than twice the risk of dementia compared to women with smaller midsections.

A new study out of Sweden suggests that middle-aged women with excess fat around the belly may face a higher risk of dementia as they age.

A 30-year study of 1500 women ages 38 to 60 showed that women who are bigger around the middle face an increased risk of dementia later in life.

The women underwent a comprehensive physical exam and answered questions about their health and lifestyle at the beginning of the study in the late 1960s, and again three decades later.

Results of the follow-up revealed that 161 of the study participants who were bigger around in the waist than in the hips had more than twice the risk of dementia compared to women with smaller midsections.

The researchers could find no link to a high body mass index (BMI). However, a similar study from 2005 found that dementia and Alzheimer’s disease were significantly more prevalent among adults with a higher mid-life BMI, suggesting that obesity might do long-term damage to brain cells.