A person gaining weight and then suddenly shedding pounds may be a sign that dementia is just around the corner, according to Boston researchers.
Different patterns of body mass index (BMI) changes during one’s life might predict dementia risk, concluded the researchers from the Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine.
Their research findings in a study showed that middle-aged people who got heavier and then thinned out had a higher risk of developing dementia.
“If for some reason your weight is suddenly going down and you’re not purposely trying to get your weight down, it might be something to check out,” Rhoda Au, professor of anatomy and neurobiology at the Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, told the Herald on Thursday.
Dementia is a growing global public health concern affecting 50 million people, and it’s expected to rise dramatically to more than 150 million cases worldwide by 2050.
Obesity, commonly measured by BMI, continues to be a global epidemic and earlier studies suggested that obesity at midlife may lead to an increased risk for dementia. But the association between BMI and the risk of dementia remains unclear.
“These findings are important because previous studies that looked at weight trajectories didn’t consider how patterns of weight gain/stability/loss might help signal that dementia is potentially imminent,” Au said.
Through the Framingham Heart Study, a group was followed for 39 years and their weight was measured every 2 to 4 years. The researchers compared different weight patterns (stable, gain, loss) among those who did and did not become demented.
They found that the overall trend of declining BMI was associated with a higher risk of developing dementia. Furthermore, the researchers discovered a middle-aged subgroup that had a pattern of initial increasing BMI followed by declining BMI — which appeared to be central to the declining BMI-dementia association.
“If after a steady increase in weight that is common as one gets older, there is an unexpected shift to losing weight post midlife, it might be good to consult with one’s healthcare provider and pinpoint why,” Au said.
“There are some potential treatments emerging where early detection might be critical in the effectiveness of any of these treatments as they are approved and become available,” she added.
The Boston University researchers collaborated with researchers from Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College.
On Thursday, the research appeared online in Alzheimer’s and Dementia: The Journal of the Alzheimer’s Association.
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