Metabolic Risk Linked to Mental Decline

There’s one more reason to lose that spare tire: overweight people may be at greater risk for memory problems. French researchers recruited more than 6,000 middle-aged people for a decade-long study. Nearly 600 were obese with metabolic risk factors such as high blood sugar, elevated triglycerides, low HDL cholesterol or hypertension. All the participants underwent cognitive function testing three times over the course of the study.
The people who were substantially overweight and had two other metabolic risk factors had a much more rapid decline in their mental function test scores, about 22 percent faster. This study reinforces other research that suggests obesity is associated with mental decline as we age. When you add in the other consequences of obesity– diabetes, hypertension and heart disease–it becomes clear that controlling weight is a crucial step towards good health.
[Neurology, Aug. 21, 2012]