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- Mar 2, 2009
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Keep putting off a weight-loss routine? Better get moving now--or your brain may pay the price later. People who carry a lot of extra weight when they're young have a higher risk of developing dementia years later, according to new research from the U.K.
The researchers found that obese people ages 30 to 69 who were admitted to the hospital were more likely to develop dementia during a 14-year follow-up than patients who were normal weight at the same age.
And the risk was more pronounced for the younger people who packed on the pounds. For people in their 40s, there was a 70 percent risk. For people in their 50s, there was a 50 percent risk. But for people in their 30s? They were more than three times as likely to develop the condition. (Is Dementia in Your Near Future? Here are the nine factor associated with young-onset dementia.)
According to the scientists, a higher BMI predisposes you to diabetes and certain heart problems. Both of these issues can damage blood vessels, which can raise your risk of certain kinds of dementia. This may be why the group showed an increased risk at mid-age of vascular dementia--which occurs as a result of damaged blood vessels in the brain--but not of Alzheimer's, which is thought to be caused by an accumulation of plaques in the brain.
More research is needed, especially studies with a longer follow-up and those that can take into account other factors that can increase dementia. In the meantime, protect your brain by keeping your body moving: A review in Aging & Mental Health concluded that people who had the highest levels of physical activity had a 38 percent lower risk of developing vascular dementia than those with the lowest levels. Start with this Get Back in Shape workout program that's designed to blast belly fat and build total-body muscle, but also leave you energized and excited--not tired and bored.
Source: Men'sHealth
The researchers found that obese people ages 30 to 69 who were admitted to the hospital were more likely to develop dementia during a 14-year follow-up than patients who were normal weight at the same age.
And the risk was more pronounced for the younger people who packed on the pounds. For people in their 40s, there was a 70 percent risk. For people in their 50s, there was a 50 percent risk. But for people in their 30s? They were more than three times as likely to develop the condition. (Is Dementia in Your Near Future? Here are the nine factor associated with young-onset dementia.)
According to the scientists, a higher BMI predisposes you to diabetes and certain heart problems. Both of these issues can damage blood vessels, which can raise your risk of certain kinds of dementia. This may be why the group showed an increased risk at mid-age of vascular dementia--which occurs as a result of damaged blood vessels in the brain--but not of Alzheimer's, which is thought to be caused by an accumulation of plaques in the brain.
More research is needed, especially studies with a longer follow-up and those that can take into account other factors that can increase dementia. In the meantime, protect your brain by keeping your body moving: A review in Aging & Mental Health concluded that people who had the highest levels of physical activity had a 38 percent lower risk of developing vascular dementia than those with the lowest levels. Start with this Get Back in Shape workout program that's designed to blast belly fat and build total-body muscle, but also leave you energized and excited--not tired and bored.
Source: Men'sHealth
