Dementia is a growing global public health challenge, with no cure currently available. A recent study found that people with a genetically higher BMI had a substantially increased risk of vascular-related dementia.
Being overweight significantly increases the risk of developing vascular dementia, according to a large new study.
Obesity has long been linked to a higher risk of vascular-related dementia, a progressive brain disease that causes nerve cell damage.
However, it has been unclear, until now, whether excess weight directly drives the disease or simply reflects other underlying health problems that increase dementia risk.
Researchers in the United Kingdom and Denmark analysed data from more than 500,000 participants in the two countries and found that a higher body mass index (BMI) directly raises the likelihood of vascular-related dementia.
Vascular-related dementia is the second most common form of dementia after Alzheimer**’**s disease, according to the Alzheimer’s Society in the UK, and is caused by reduced blood flow to the brain.
“This study shows that high body weight and high blood pressure are not just warning signs, but direct causes of dementia,” said Ruth Frikke-Schmidt, author of the study and a professor at the University of Copenhagen and chief physician at Copenhagen University Hospital, Denmark, said in a statement.
The research team used a method called Mendelian randomisation, which compares people who are born with genes that predispose them to a higher BMI with those who are not.
It found that people with a genetically higher BMI had a substantially increased risk of vascular-related dementia.
Researchers also examined why excess weight raises dementia risk. They found that high blood pressure explained a significant portion of the effect.
The findings suggest that maintaining a healthy weight and controlling blood pressure could be important steps in reducing dementia risk later in life.
“The treatment and prevention of elevated BMI and high blood pressure represent an unexploited opportunity for dementia prevention,” said Frikke-Schmidt.
While a recent study on weight-loss medications’ effect on halting cognitive decline in early phases of Alzheimer’s disease proved no beneficial effect, it remains to be tested whether “weight-loss medication initiated before the appearance of cognitive symptoms may be protective against dementia,” Frikke-Schmidt said.
“Our present data would suggest that early weight-loss interventions would prevent dementia, and especially vascular-related dementia,” she added.
Dementia is a growing global public health challenge, with no cure currently available. Every year, there are nearly 10 million new cases worldwide, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
People with dementia experience a severe decline in mental abilities, including memory, thinking and reasoning.
