Obesity Impairs Cognitive Function?
It is well known that overweight and obesity impair heart health.
So what about the impact on cognitive function? According to research by Sonia Anand et al. of McMaster University (Canada), there seems to be an effect on cognitive function. The details of the research were published in "JAMA Network Open" on February 1, 2022.
Anand et al. combined data from two large-scale epidemiological studies in Canada to examine the relationship between visceral fat volume and body fat percentage and cognitive function.
Analysis subjects were 9,189 adults aged 30 to 75 years without cardiovascular disease (mean age 57.8 ± 8.8 years, 56.4% female, 83.8% Caucasian). Cognitive function was assessed with two indices: the Digital Symbol Substitution Test (DSST) and the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA).
DSST is scored in the range of 0-133, and MoCA is scored in the range of 0-30. In both cases, the lower the score, the lower the cognitive function.
After dividing visceral fat volume and body fat percentage into four groups by quartile, and adjusting for factors that may affect the analysis results, such as age, gender, educational background, and ethnicity, cognitive function and Consider the relationship between
As a result, as described below, it was clarified that the larger the visceral fat volume and the higher the body fat percentage, the lower the cognitive function.
First, regarding visceral fat volume, the DSST score for the first quartile group (lower quartile with lower visceral fat volume) was 73.9 (95% confidence interval 73.3-74.4), The quantile group (top quartile with higher visceral fat volume) was 70.9 (70.4-71.5) (trend P < 0.001).
In addition, the MoCA score was 27.1 (27.0-27.1) in the 1st quartile of visceral fat volume, and 26.8 (26.7-26.9) in the 4th quartile (trend P = 0.003).
Next, regarding body fat percentage, the DSST score in the 1st quartile group was 75.3 (74.6-75.9), while the 4th quartile group was 72.8 (72.1-73.4) ( trend P<0.001).
No significant relationship was found between MoCA score and body fat percentage.
Each 1 standard deviation increase in obesity (36 mL increase in visceral fat volume and 9.2% increase in body fat percentage) was associated with a 0.8 decrease in DSST score. This decline in cognitive function with a DSST score of 0.8 is said to be equivalent to an aging change of about one year.About the results, Dr. Anand said, "We found that obesity not only increases cardiovascular disease risk factors such as diabetes and hypertension, but is also associated with cognitive function. However, all aspects of cognitive function were found. It is not recognized that there is a relationship with."
Specifically, there was no relationship between visceral fat volume or body fat percentage and memory or vocabulary, and a significant relationship was found with cognitive processing speed.
Cognitive processing speed refers to the time required to process and react to information sensed by sight or hearing.
Anand said it's unclear whether the link between obesity and slowed cognitive processing shown in the study is permanent or reversible with weight loss.
However, "avoiding obesity is key in any case. To prevent weight gain, it is better to eat a healthy diet and lead an active lifestyle." .
Lona Sandon of the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center said, "Even if there is a link between obesity and cognitive function, this study alone cannot determine whether there is a causal relationship." , agrees with Anand's advice.
"No one should be deterred from improving their diet and exercise habits," he said, emphasizing the importance of lifestyle factors to cognitive decline. (HealthDay News February 1, 2022)
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