Carrying excess fat around the waist could increase your risk of developing a severe cognitive condition by 13 per cent. A study suggests that abdominal fat could be a predictor of dementia risk.
It's well-established that being overweight can negatively impact health. Obesity is associated with a heightened risk of conditions such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and cancer.
However, this particular study identifies a specific type of fat as especially harmful. The research, published in the Neurology journal, found that high levels of belly fat increase the likelihood of being diagnosed with any form of dementia, including Alzheimer's or Parkinson's disease, by 13 per cent.
This risk was compared to those with low levels of abdominal fat. Furthermore, the study found that having more fat around the arms increased this risk by 18 per cent.
What about muscles and a link to neurodegenerative diseases?
The British Heart Foundation (BHF) highlighted that the study also reported people with high muscle strength are 26 per cent less likely to develop neurodegenerative diseases than those with low strength levels. For the study, the Chinese team utilised data from nearly 413,000 individuals included in the UK Biobank database.
At the start of the study, none of the participants had a neurodegenerative disease. Researchers measured their bodies to determine the amount of fat, muscle, and bone in different areas.
Muscle strength was gauged by the participants' grip strength, and they were categorised based on whether they had a significant amount of fat on their belly, arms or legs relative to their overall body fat.
After an average span of nine years, 8,224 participants were diagnosed with a neurodegenerative disease. This included 6,076 individuals with any form of dementia, 2,933 with Alzheimer's disease and 2,427 with Parkinson's disease.
The study found that high levels of fat around the belly or arms correlated with an increased risk of these diseases. On the other hand, those with a high amount of fat on their legs, or high muscle strength, or high bone density, were observed to have a lower risk of developing them.
Participants with higher amounts of fat were also discovered to be at greater risk of cardiovascular disease, one of the leading causes of death worldwide. The BHF noted: "It is already known that having too much body fat increases the risk of developing heart and circulatory diseases.
"With more analysis of the data, the researchers found that in many cases there was a link between having a heart and circulatory disease and developing these brain-damaging conditions. For example, 35 per cent of those with a high amount of belly fat, who developed a neurodegenerative disease, also had a heart or circulatory disease, and for those with a high amount of arm fat this was 14 per cent."
Link between visceral fat and brain volume
This isn't the only study to draw a link between belly fat and cognitive health. A study published in the Annals of Neurology back in 2011 highlighted a concerning link between visceral fat in middle age and a decrease in brain volume.
The research noted: "In middle-aged community participants we observed a significant inverse association of anthropometric and CT-based measures of abdominal, especially visceral, fat with total brain volume." Visceral fat is the type of fat that's stored deep within the abdomen. While a certain amount is essential for cushioning and insulating internal organs, an excess can lead to a myriad of health issues.
For those curious about their own levels of visceral fat, experts from the Cleveland Clinic suggest a simple method involving a tape measure. Place it around your waist just above your hip bones. According to these specialists, "For women, 35 inches or more means you're at risk for health problems stemming from visceral fat," while "For men, the number is 40 inches or more. ".
Anyone concerned about their weight and potential health risks should consider consulting with their GP.
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