18-YEAR STUDY LINKS OBESITY TO ALZHEIMER’s DISEASE

A new study just gave people another reason to watch their waistlines. Researchers at Utah State University and Gothenburg University in Sweden reported a link between overweight and Alzheimer’s disease.

“We typically think of obesity as increasing the risk of heart disease, diabetes, hypertension and atherosclerosis, but we hadn‚t yet looked at the risk excess weight poses for Alzheimer’s,” said Utah State researcher Deborah Gustafson.

Overweight and obesity are reaching epidemic proportions and pose a serious threat to vascular health, Gustafson said.

The study, reported this week in the American Medical Association’s Archives of Internal Medicine, found that a high body mass index (BMI) in seniors puts brain function and mental health at risk.

The relationship between BMI and Alzheimer’s disease was investigated in a group of almost 400 Swedish seniors who were tracked from age 70 to 88 with extensive physical and psychiatric exams. The link between extra weight and Alzheimer’s was particularly striking in women and often showed up years after the adoption of poor lifestyle habits. The findings have important public health implications, as women older than 50 are the fastest growing age group in Western societies.

Alzheimer’s is a type of dementia that can cause heartbreaking symptoms for its victims and their caregivers. People forget where they are, who they‚re talking to or how to find their way home from the grocery store. They often suffer from depression, emotional isolation or hostility.

“With more people living until they‚re 80 or 90 years old, Alzheimer’s is going to become an increasing burden on society,” Gustafson said.

“Sometimes as people age they think they don‚t need to worry about their weight any more,” she said. “But this study shows that maintaining a healthy weight, even to the oldest ages, helps to ensure good health.”