Summary: Researchers have discovered a link between obesity-related neurodegeneration and the pathology of Alzheimer’s disease. Losing weight can reduce the risk of age-related cognitive decline and Alzheimer’s disease, they say.
Source: McGill University
A new study led by scientists at McGill University’s The Neuro (Montreal Neurological Institute-Hospital) suggests that losing excess weight can reduce cognitive decline in old age and the risk of disease. A.D.
Previous studies have shown that obesity is associated with changes associated with Alzheimer’s disease (AD), such as cerebrovascular damage and amyloid-β accumulation. However, to date, no study has made a direct comparison between brain atrophy in AD and obesity.
Using a sample of more than 1,300 individuals, the researchers compared patterns of obesity and postnatal gray matter atrophy. They compared AD patients with healthy controls and non-obese individuals and created maps of gray matter atrophy for each group.
The scientists found that obesity and AD affect gray matter cortical thinning in the same way. For example, thinning in the right temporo-parietal cortex and left prefrontal cortex was similar in both groups. Cortical thinning can be a sign of neurodegeneration. This suggests that obesity may play a role in AD. It can cause the same type of neurodegeneration as seen in people with AD.
Obesity is becoming increasingly recognized as a multisystem disease affecting the respiratory, gastrointestinal, and cardiovascular systems, among others. Published in Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease By January 31, 2022 This study helps to show the neurological effects that obesity may play in the development of Alzheimer’s and dementia.
“Our study reinforces previous literature implicating obesity by showing that cortical thinning may be one of the potential risk mechanisms,” says Philip Morris, PhD, neuroscientist and first author of the study. “Our results highlight the importance of weight loss in obese and overweight people in midlife to reduce the risk of subsequent neurodegeneration and dementia.
Financial support This research was funded by a Foundation Planning Award to AD from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, Computing Data from CalQuébec and Compute Canada, and a postdoctoral fellowship from the Fonds de Recherche du Québec – Santé.
So obesity and Alzheimer’s disease research news
Author: Sean Hayward
Source: McGill University
Contact: Shawn Hayward – McGill University
Image: The image is credited to Philip Morris.
Preliminary study: Open Access.
“Pattern of obesity-associated neurodegeneration mimics Alzheimer’s disease in observational cohort study.” by Filip Morys et al. Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease
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Pattern of obesity-associated neurodegeneration mimics Alzheimer’s disease in observational cohort study.
Background:
Being overweight in adulthood can lead to health problems such as diabetes, high blood pressure or dyslipidemia. Recently, excess weight has been linked to dementia and cognitive decline. Reports have shown that obesity is associated with Alzheimer’s disease (AD)-related changes, such as cerebrovascular damage or amyloid-β accumulation. However, to date, no study has made a direct comparison between brain atrophy in AD and obesity.
Purpose:
Here, we compared brain atrophy and amyloid-β/tau protein deposition in obesity and AD using samples from more than 1,300 individuals from four groups: AD patients, healthy controls, obese healthy individuals, and lean individuals.
Methods:
We matched all groups with the group of AD-patients by age and sex, and compared the AD-patients. And we created cortical thickness maps of obesity. This was done in AD. It compares patients with healthy controls, and compares obese individuals with obese individuals. We compared AD and thickness maps using statistical analyzes involving spatial autocorrelation and permutation-based tests. Similarly, we compared obesity brain maps with amyloid-β and tau protein maps from other studies.
Results:
Obesity maps were highly correlated with AD maps but not with amyloid-β/tau protein maps. This effect was not accounted for by the presence of obesity in the AD group.
Summary:
Our study confirms that obesity-related gray matter atrophy is similar to AD. Controlling excess weight can lead to improved health outcomes, reducing the risk of age-related cognitive decline and AD.