Association between Visceral Fat and Brain Structural Changes or Cognitive Function.

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Neuroscience
• Cardiology

Background:

• Visceral fat accumulation is a known risk factor for cardiovascular disease, hypertension, and type 2 diabetes.
• These conditions, particularly diabetes, are associated with an increased risk of dementia.
• The specific relationship between visceral fat areas (VFA) and cognitive function in the elderly is not well understood.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between VFA and cognitive function in elderly individuals.
• To examine the relationship between VFA and brain structural abnormalities detected by MRI.

Main Methods:

• A study of 2364 healthy elderly individuals, excluding those with dementia.
• Participants were categorized into high-VFA and low-VFA groups based on median VFA.
• Linear regression models and MRI were used to analyze cognitive function, brain structure, and VFA.

Main Results:

• The high-VFA group exhibited significantly lower cognitive function compared to the low-VFA group (p = 0.025).
• VFA was significantly associated with increased white matter lesions (OR, 1.90; adjusted p < 0.001).
• VFA also showed a significant association with enlarged perivascular spaces (OR, 1.28; adjusted p = 0.033).

Conclusions:

• Higher visceral fat areas are associated with reduced cognitive function in the elderly.
• Visceral fat accumulation may contribute to brain structural abnormalities, including white matter lesions and perivascular space enlargement.
• Reducing visceral fat could be a strategy for preventing both cardiovascular disease and dementia.