University of Washington Presents Research on Visceral Fat and Brain Health
A recent study conducted by a research team at the University of Washington has revealed a significant link between visceral fat in middle-aged individuals and the development of Alzheimer’s disease. This groundbreaking research was presented at the 20th annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America.
Key Findings
According to the study, individuals with higher levels of visceral fat experienced brain changes associated with the onset of Alzheimer’s disease up to 15 years before the onset of memory loss, a common early symptom. The research team also found that individuals with thicker visceral fat deposits, in comparison to subcutaneous fat, showed higher levels of amyloid proteins in the prefrontal cortex.
Furthermore, the study confirmed that visceral fat was associated with increased brain inflammation, a key factor influencing the development of Alzheimer’s disease.
Methodology
The study included 54 middle-aged participants with an average BMI of 32, indicating obesity according to World Health Organization standards. Various measures were used to assess participants’ health, including body mass index, insulin resistance, abdominal fat tissue, and brain imaging techniques such as magnetic resonance imaging and positron emission tomography.
Lead researcher, Marcia Dolachai, a postdoctoral researcher at the Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology, emphasized the significance of these findings, stating, “There has been no research linking proteins associated with Alzheimer’s disease found in people with normal cognitive function to body fat. The potential protective effect of subcutaneous fat, in contrast to the detrimental effects of visceral fat on brain health, is a significant discovery.”
Implications
This groundbreaking study has significant implications for the development of treatment strategies to prevent or delay the onset of Alzheimer’s disease. The research team suggests that addressing visceral fat may be a crucial factor in designing effective interventions to protect brain health in middle-aged individuals and reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s disease.
Overall, this research provides critical insights into the importance of managing visceral fat in midlife to protect brain health in the future and prevent the onset of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s.
University of Washington, USA
Research has shown that managing belly fat in midlife is a way to protect brain health in the future. Provided by kuppa_rock/Getty Image Bank.
Research has shown that visceral fat in middle age is linked to the development of Alzheimer’s disease. The explanation is that in order to prevent Alzheimer’s disease in old age, it may be necessary to control belly fat from middle age.
A research team at the University of Washington presented research results containing these details at the 20th annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America. The research team discovered that visceral fat is associated with brain changes that occur 15 years before memory begins, an early symptom of Alzheimer’s disease.
To identify the risk of early Alzheimer’s disease, the research team looked at body mass index (BMI), insulin resistance, abdominal fat tissue, amyloid and tau accumulation, and brain thickness in middle-aged populations with function normal cognitive. Amyloid and tau are proteins that interfere with communication between brain cells.
54 middle-aged people aged 40 to 60 with an average BMI of 32 took part in this study. According to World Health Organization (WHO) standards, a BMI of 30 or more is considered obese. Insulin resistance was confirmed by a ‘glucose tolerance test’ which measures blood glucose concentration, and abdominal fat was confirmed by measuring subcutaneous fat volume and visceral fat by abdominal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The thickness of the cortex in the brain region associated with Alzheimer’s disease was measured by brain MRI, and amyloid and tau proteins were confirmed by brain positron emission tomography (PET).
Through this, it was confirmed that the thicker the visceral fat is compared to the subcutaneous fat, the more amyloid is found in the prefrontal cortex. More visceral fat was also associated with more brain inflammation.
Marcia Dolachai, a postdoctoral researcher at the Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology at the University of Washington, said, “There has been no research linking proteins associated with Alzheimer’s disease found in people with normal cognitive function to body fat. In contrast to the potential protective effect of fat subcutaneous , visceral fat “It appears to be associated with brain inflammation, which is one of the main mechanisms influencing the development of Alzheimer’s disease.”
This study confirmed that the link between visceral fat and brain changes appears up to 15 years before the onset of memory loss, an early symptom of Alzheimer’s disease. The research team explained that brain changes associated with the onset of Alzheimer’s appear to appear at the age of 50.
The research team said, “This study suggests that visceral fat may also be something to consider when designing treatment strategies to prevent or delay the development of meningitis or dementia.”
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