A recent study published at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America has shed light on the link between visceral fat and Alzheimer’s disease pathology. Researchers led by Mahsa Dolatshahi, MD, found that higher levels of visceral fat were correlated with increased amyloid plaque in the brains of cognitively normal individuals.
The study, which involved 80 participants aged 49.4, showed that obesity was associated with higher levels of amyloid in the brain compared to those without obesity (P=0.008). Visceral adipose tissue also played a significant role in this association (P<0.0001), accounting for 77% of the effect of high body mass index (BMI) on amyloid accumulation. The researchers found that higher levels of insulin resistance and lower HDL cholesterol were associated with increased amyloid in the brain, which was partially reduced by individuals with higher HDL levels. The study suggests that modifying lifestyle to reduce fat and increase HDL levels could have a beneficial effect in preventing or delaying progression to Alzheimer's disease. Study co-author Cyrus Raji noted that treatment with new weight-loss drugs may have brain health benefits in midlife that could prevent Alzheimer's disease later in life. However, the study's lead author cautioned that further investigations are needed to confirm the association found by the authors and determine whether weight loss can reverse some of these changes. The findings highlight the importance of targeting metabolic and lipid issues related to obesity in managing Alzheimer's risk. As Dr. Mahsa Dolatshahi noted, "Our study showed that higher visceral fat was associated with higher PET levels of the two hallmark pathologic proteins of Alzheimer's disease -- amyloid and tau." Source: https://www.medpagetoday.com/meetingcoverage/rsna/113176