Alzheimer’s disease is associated with hidden belly fat in middle age.
It has been discovered that higher concentrations of proteins that impair brain function are linked to visceral fat in the abdomen. According to researchers, creating metrics for visceral fat may help identify Alzheimer’s disease early on. According to experts, losing belly fat may help reduce the chance of getting Alzheimer’s. Adults in their middle years who have visceral fat around their internal organs in their abdomen may be more susceptible to Alzheimer’s. Based on research presented at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America, having such fat deposits could cause changes in the brain related to Alzheimer’s up to 15 years before symptoms of the neurological disease appear — and as early as age 50. In this study, middle-aged people without any indications of cognitive problems were asked to participate in order to find correlations between high body mass index (BMI) scores, obesity, insulin resistance, and fatty abdominal tissue and amyloid and tau proteins, which are known to disrupt cellular communication in the brain.
Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis were led by Dr. Mahsa Dolatshahi, a post-doctoral research fellow at the Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology (MIR). Louis, the brain region known to be affected early by amyloid pathology in Alzheimer’s disease, previously reported that a higher visceral to subcutaneous fat ratio in the belly was associated with a higher presence of amyloids in the precuneus cortex. According to those researchers, there was a correlation between elevated brain inflammation and higher levels of visceral fat. According to the new study, men are more likely than women to have belly fat and Alzheimer’s diseaseNo previous study has linked a specific type of fat to the actual Alzheimer’s disease protein in cognitively normal people, despite other studies linking BMI with brain atrophy or even a higher dementia risk, Dolatshahi stated in a press release. Comparable research has not looked into the distinct roles of visceral and subcutaneous fat, particularly in relation to the amyloid pathology of Alzheimer’s disease, as early as midlife. Dr. Mary Ellen Koran, an assistant professor of radiology and radiological sciences at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, said, It makes sense that visceral fat is linked to poorer brain health since we already know it’s linked to so many bad health outcomes, including heart health. But it’s important that we do the studies like these to define that link with evidence..
Visceral fat’s inflammatory secretions may lead to inflammation in the brain, one of the main mechanisms contributing to Alzheimer’s disease, according to DolatshahiWe don’t know whether this is a cause or effect—possibly an unhealthy lifestyle is linked to worse brain health in addition to more visceral fat, said Koran, a radiology expert who has identified Alzheimer’s disease. Before we can advance this clinically, more research in this area is necessary. For instance, she stated, It needs to be investigated because I don’t think we know what a ‘normal’ amount of visceral fat is. The results, according to researchers, may make it possible to identify Alzheimer’s disease early in an at-risk groupWe now have a uniquely better understanding of why this factor may increase risk for Alzheimer’s disease by moving beyond body mass index (BMI) in better characterizing the anatomical distribution of body fat on MRI, stated Dr. Cyrus Raji, senior study author, associate professor of radiology and neurology, and director of neuromagnetic resonance imaging at MIR.
According to Koran, the issue with utilizing BMI to evaluate health risks is that it ignores people who have a lot of muscle mass. Similarly, visceral and subcutaneous fat cannot be distinguished using waist circumference as a benchmark. Since visceral fat is known to be associated with a number of negative health outcomes, the expert suggested that alternative methods of assessing visceral fat be explored. Non-invasive imaging is a good fit for this purpose. Maybe in the future, we’ll be able to measure this using an inexpensive, radiation-free technique like ultrasound. According to the study, reducing belly fat may lower the risk of Alzheimer’s. According to Taylor Wilson, founder of Active Recovery Companions and an expert in nutrition and exercise, one strategy that has been proven effective in reducing belly fat is engaging in regular aerobic exercise, which includes activities like running, swimming, cycling, and dancing. These activities raise your heart rate and increase oxygen flow throughout your body. He told Medical News Today, Your body burns calories when you engage in aerobic exercise, including those stored in the belly area.Over time, a decrease in belly fat and overall weight loss may result from this calorie burn. Furthermore, studies have demonstrated that aerobic exercise significantly reduces belly fat in comparison to resistance training alone.
We know we can target fat with exercise and a healthy diet, but there are also new, effective drugs like Ozempic coming to market, Koran continued. However, more research is needed to determine how these medications affect visceral fat and brain function over the long run. Although the Food and Drug Administration has approved Ozempic and other comparable drugs for the treatment of type 2 diabetes, most of them still lack the necessary approval to be used for weight loss. Currently, some doctors are prescribing some of those medications off-label to help patients lose weight.
REFERENCES:
For alzheimer medications that have been suggested by doctors worldwide are available here https://mygenericpharmacy.com/index.php?cPath=77_239