Overall and abdominal adiposity in midlife and subsequent cognitive function.

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Public Health
• Epidemiology

Background:

• Midlife adiposity is increasingly recognized as a risk factor for cognitive decline.
• Previous studies often focused on overall adiposity and overlooked crucial confounding variables.
• Understanding the specific impact of different adiposity markers on cognition is essential for targeted interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the relationship between midlife adiposity markers (BMI and waist circumference) and subsequent cognitive function.
• To examine the potential confounding role of midlife dietary patterns in the association between adiposity and cognition.

Main Methods:

• Utilized data from the SU.VI.MAX and SU.VI.MAX 2 studies, a French general-population cohort.
• Assessed cognitive performance in 2,817 middle-aged adults using neuropsychological tests and principal component analysis.
• Analyzed associations between midlife adiposity (BMI, waist circumference) and cognitive scores, adjusting for cardio-metabolic parameters and dietary patterns.

Main Results:

• Higher midlife Body Mass Index (BMI) and larger waist circumference (WC) were associated with lower executive function after adjusting for cardio-metabolic factors.
• A 1 SD increase in WC predicted a -0.48 difference in executive function scores.
• Midlife obesity was linked to significantly lower executive functioning compared to non-obese individuals, with slight attenuation after dietary pattern adjustment.

Conclusions:

• Midlife adiposity, both overall and abdominal, is associated with diminished executive functioning.
• Midlife dietary patterns may partially mediate this relationship, underscoring the importance of accounting for lifestyle confounders.
• Further research should incorporate lifestyle factors to fully elucidate the adiposity-cognition link.