A study led by scientists at McGill University’s Neuro (Montreal Neurological Hospital-Institute) finds a correlation between neurodegeneration in obese people and in patients with Alzheimer’s disease (AD), suggesting that losing excess weight could slow down cognitive decline in aging and reduce the risk of AD.
Previous research has shown that obesity is linked to Alzheimer’s disease (AD)-related changes, such as cerebrovascular damage and amyloid-β accumulation. However, to date no research has made a direct comparison between the patterns of brain atrophy in AD and obesity.
Using a sample of more than 1.300 personas, the researchers compared the patterns of gray matter atrophy in obesity and AD. They compared AD patients with healthy controls, and obese with non-obese, creating gray matter atrophy maps for each group.
The scientists found that obesity and Alzheimer’s affected the cortical thinning of gray matter in similar ways. For example, the thinning of the right temporo-parietal cortex and the left prefrontal cortex was similar in both groups. It is known that cortical thinning can be a sign of neurodegeneration.
This suggests that obesity may cause the same type of neurodegeneration found in people with Alzheimer’s.
Our study reinforces previous literature that pointed to obesity as a significant factor in Alzheimer’s
Philip Morys
Montreal Neurological Institute-Hospital
Obesity is increasingly recognized as a multisystem disease that affects the respiratory, gastrointestinal, and cardiovascular systems, among others.
Published in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease, this study helps reveal a neurological impact as well, showing that obesity may play a role in the development of Alzheimer’s and dementia.
“Our study reinforces previous literature that pointed to obesity as a significant factor in Alzheimer’s, showing that cortical thinning could be one of the potential risk mechanisms,” explains Filip Morys, first author of the study. “Our results highlight the importance of lowering weight in obese and overweight individuals in midlife, to decrease the subsequent risk of neurodegeneration and dementia.”