Study Finds Obese People Might Have Alzheimer’s-Like Brain Atrophy

Obesity may put you at risk for cognitive decline. Creativa Images/Shutterstock

Obesity has long been linked to many health conditions, including cardiovascular disease, Type 2 diabetes, and some cancers. New research adds another concern: cognitive decline.

The study, published in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease, found obesity was associated with decreased brain mass similar to that seen in Alzheimer’s disease patients.

Obesity Causes Similar Changes to Brain as Alzheimer’s Disease

Researchers compared patterns of brain atrophy and amyloid-β/tau protein accumulation (hallmarks of Alzheimer’s) in patients with obesity and Alzheimer’s disease. They used a sample of over 1,300 individuals from four groups—Alzheimer’s disease patients, healthy people, obese but otherwise healthy people, and lean people.