Visceral fat associated with lower brain volume in healthy adults

Researchers have identified an inverse association between total brain volume and measurements of abdominal fat — particularly visceral fat — in otherwise healthy, middle-aged participants enrolled in the Framingham Heart Study Offspring Cohort.
“Our results confirm the inverse association of increasing BMI with lower brain volumes in older adults and with younger, middle-aged adults and extends the findings to a much larger study sample,” Sudha Seshadri, MD, at Boston University School of Medicine, said in a press release.
Although mid-life obesity has been found to be associated with an increased risk for dementia, the underlying associations have yet to be determined, according to the researchers. They assessed the association between BMI, waist circumference, waist-to-hip ratio and computed tomography-based measurements of abdominal fat with MRI measurements of total brain volume, temporal horn volume and white matter hyperintensity volume and brain infarcts. The analysis included 733 middle-aged participants (mean age, 60 years; 53% women).
Researchers identified an inverse association between BMI (P=.02), waist circumference (P=.01), waist-to-hip ratio (P=.02), subcutaneous adipose tissue (P=.04) and visceral adipose tissue (P=.002) with total brain volume. This association was independent of vascular risk factors.
Further, a significant association was found between visceral adipose tissue and total brain volume, independent of BMI (P=.02) and insulin resistance (P=.01). These associations were attenuated after adjusting for C-reactive protein levels (P=.17).
“Our findings, while preliminary, provide greater understanding of the mechanisms underlying the link between obesity and dementia,” Seshadri said. “Further studies will add to our knowledge and offer important methods of prevention.”