Gaining Weight Increases Risk Of Dementia

People who gain even just a few extra kilos/pounds when they reach middle-age increase their risk of developing dementia later in life, according results from a new Swedish study published in a Swedish newspaper.

Based on data collected over a 28-year-period from more than 7,000 men in the southwestern town of Gothenburg, the study published in the Dagens Nyheter paper reveals a clear link between middle-age weight-gain and later deterioration of intellectual faculties.

"Greater overweight resulted in a higher risk for dementia, but the connection was even clear in (people) on the heavier end of their normal weight," Annika Rosengren, a researcher at the Gothenburg University and head of the study, told Dagens Nyheter.

While genetic makeup and age are the most important factors in determining whether a person will develop dementia, the study backs up recent research showing that a high blood pressure, high cholesterol levels and diabetes also greatly impact our mental development.

The study compares a subject's middle-age body mass index (BMI), in which their weight in kilograms is divided by their height in meters, to later onset of dementia.

While a person is not considered overweight until their BMI surpasses 25, the study shows a slightly higher risk of developing dementia with a BMI level of only 22.5.

The link between weight-gain and dementia remained clear even after factors like smoking, exercise and diabetes had been taken into consideration, according to the study.

Reference Source 102
February 22, 2005

For more information on how to prevent other diseases, use
PreventDisease.com's "Quick Prevention Resources".