Could Obesity Help Protect Against Dementia?

Could Obesity Help Protect Against Dementia?

Could Obesity Help Protect Against Dementia?

Large study suggests that possibility, but experts call for further research into surprising finding

"Despite the high number of participants [in the study], it is not the final word, given the methodological questions," Gustafson said. "More research is needed, as well as clarification of these results."

In the study, Qizilbash and colleagues analyzed nearly 20 years of medical records on almost 2 million British adults, whose average age was 55 at the start of the study. During 15 years of follow-up, 45,500 of the participants developed dementia.

The associations between weight and dementia held up even after the researchers took into account when the participants were born or their age at diagnosis. And factors such as drinking and smoking, which are known risk factors for dementia, made little difference in the results, the researchers added.

Dr. Malaz Boustani, an associate professor of medicine at the Indiana University School of Medicine and a spokesperson for the American Federation for Aging Research, suggested that "if a biological mechanism can be found to support these findings, it might lead to new ways of treating or preventing dementia."