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Middle Age Obesity and the Risk of DementiaWhat is the problem and what is known about it so far?
People are living longer these days, and doctors are concerned that more people will get dementia (a brain function problem that gets worse over time). Some studies suggest that obesity may make a person more likely to get dementia, but little is known about the connection. Why did the researchers do this particular study?
The study was done to see whether obese middle-aged people were likely to get dementia when they got older. Who was studied?
The study included 10,276 members of a California health plan who volunteered for periodic health checks between 1964 and 1973. Researchers selected people who were 40-45 years old and still members of the health plan. How was the study done?
Each participant had a physical exam and blood tests. Researchers collected information about each person, including their medical history and body mass index (BMI, a measure of weight in relation to height). Participants were followed for 27 years. What did the researchers find?
People who were obese in middle age were 74% more likely to get dementia when they got older than people of normal weight. People who were overweight (but not obese) were 35% more likely to get dementia. What were the limitations of the study?
Researchers only studied dementia in people who were still members of the health plan. They did not look at other ways of measuring overweight and obesity, such as measuring the size of a person’s waist, which may have led to other findings. What are the implications of the study?
More research may help identify people with the greatest risk of getting dementia. If the results of this study are correct, there may be a growing number people with dementia in the future as the American population who is overweight ages.
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