Data Show Neural Mechanisms Between Obesity and Cognition
Investigators find 5 distinct obesity trajectories that influenced brain morphology, function, and cognition.
Investigators identified underlying neural mechanisms between obesity and its implications for cognitive health in adults, according to data published in Nature Reviews Materials. They found 5 distinct obesity trajectories that influenced brain morphology, function, and cognition: low-stable, moderate-stable, high-stable, increasing, and decreasing.1,2
Investigators find 5 distinct obesity trajectories that influenced brain morphology, function, and cognition. | Image Credit: Tatiana Shepeleva - stock.adobe.com
“As the aging population grows, there has been a notable rise in neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer disease, Parkinson disease, and others, that currently lack a cure. This research proposes that maintaining long-term weight control can contribute to improved brain health,” Anqi QIU, PhD, professor of the department of health technology and informatics at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University, said in a news release.1
Patients who are obese have a greater risk of developing age-related cognitive decline, vascular dementia, mild cognitive impairment, and other neurodegenerative diseases. Between the ages of 35 and 65 years, obesity can increase dementia risk by approximately 30%, according to the Alzheimer’s Society. They state that the size of the brain decreases as a person ages, and investigators found a relationship between body mass index (BMI) and brain size, with higher BMI equating to a smaller brain size. However, BMI has been a controversial measurement for indicating obesity. Waist circumference and waist-to-hip ratio have also been used to determine excess fat, according to authors of a review in the International Journal of Molecular Sciences.3,4
In the current study, investigators used data from the UK Biobank database, which included 500,000 patients 40 years and older who had diverse ethnic backgrounds. They used data on obesity measures, brain images, and cognition.1,2
The data showed that those with a decreasing trajectory for obesity had minimal adverse effects on brain structure and cognitive performance when compared to low obesity levels over time (low-stable). Moderate- and high-stable trajectories had greater impairments in all 3 measures. Specifically, adverse effects for the increasing trajectory extended from the fronto-mesolimbic regions of the brain, moderate-stable extended from the parietal and temporal regions, and high-stable culminated in widespread brain abnormalities.1,2
Recently, glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists have been studied as treatment for Alzheimer disease and other dementia-related diseases and are currently being used to treat both type 2 diabetes and obesity—risk factors for dementia and Alzheimer disease. Investigators also found that GLP-1 medication also reduces the risk of dementia or cognitive impairment. They said that a larger risk reduction was seen for dementia when the patient received GLP-1 receptor agonists and was statistically significant (OR, 0.55 [95% CI, 0.35-0.86]).
READ MORE: Neurology Resource Center
Ready to impress your pharmacy colleagues with the latest drug information, industry trends, and patient care tips? Sign up today for our free Drug Topics newsletter.
