Obesity, abdominal obesity and Alzheimer disease

Vreugdenhil, Anthea; Razay, George; Wilcock, Gordon

Abstract

Background/Aims: Obesity has a strong association with vascular and metabolic diseases, which have been linked with Alzheimer disease (AD). While recent studies have reported an association between mid-life obesity and dementia, the role of later-life obesity is less clear. This study investigated the relation between AD, obesity and abdominal obesity at later-life in a case-control study. Methods: Participants were 50 consecutive patients with probable AD from memory disorders clinics in Launceston, Australia, and Bristol, England, and 75 cognitively normal controls. Height and weight [from which body mass index (BMI) was calculated] and hip and waist circumferences (from which waist-hip ratio was calculated) were measured. Participants were classified according to their BMI as: underweight (BMI 0.9 (men) or >0.8 (women). Results: AD was associated with obesity [OR 9.5, 95% CI 2.4-37.3, p = 0.001], underweight (OR 5.4, CI 0.9-33.7, p = 0.07) and abdominal obesity (OR 2.5, CI 1.1-5.7, p = 0.027) using logistic regression analyses adjusted for age, sex and location. The inclusion of metabolic risk factors in the model increased the ORs for obesity (OR 12.6, CI 2.8-56.5, p = 0.001) and underweight (OR 7.9, CI 1.0-66.3, p = 0.056). Conclusion: AD may be associated with obesity, underweight and abdominal obesity at later life. Larger prospective studies are required to investigate this further. Copyright © 2006 S. Karger AG.

Citation

Vreugdenhil, A., Razay, G., & Wilcock, G. (2006). Obesity, abdominal obesity and Alzheimer disease. Dementia and Geriatric Cognitive Disorders, 22(2), 173-176. https://doi.org/10.1159/000094586

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Publication Date: Aug 1, 2006
• Journal: Dementia and Geriatric Cognitive Disorders
• Print ISSN: 1420-8008
• Publisher: Karger Publishers
• Peer Reviewed: Not Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 22
• Issue: 2
• Pages: 173-176
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1159/000094586
• Keywords: obesity, abdominal obesity, Alzheimer disease
• Public URL: https://uwe-repository.worktribe.com/output/1042821
• Publisher URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1159/000094586