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Truncal Fat and Frailty Are Important Predictors of Cognitive Performance among Aging Adults with Obesity
H D Heisey1, M E Kunik, C Qualls
1Dennis T. Villareal, MD, Baylor College of Medicine, Michael E DeBakey VA Medical Center, 2002 Holcombe Blvd, Houston TX, USA, Dennis.villareal@bcm.edu.
Objectives:
To explore associations among cognition, frailty, and obesity in older adults.
Design:
Descriptive, secondary analysis of baseline data from two related lifestyle intervention trials.
Setting:
Clinical study open to civilian population through the Center for Translational Research on Inflammatory Diseases at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Houston, TX.
Participants:
One hundred eight community-dwelling adults with obesity, aged 65 or older, recruited consecutively from two lifestyle intervention trials.
Measurements:
Cognition was assessed using Composite Age-Adjusted Scale Score from the National Institutes of Health Toolbox Cognition Battery: Obesity was assessed by body mass index (BMI) and also by truncal fat mas via dual energy x-ray absorptiometry. Frailty was assessed using the Physical Performance Test.
Results:
A significant linear regression model for cognition revealed frailty as the strongest predictor, followed by sex, and then truncal fat (R2=0.340, p<0.001).
Conclusion:
Cognition among community-dwelling older adults with obese BMI may worsen with greater truncal fat mass. Frailty appears to be an important predictor of cognitive performance in this population.
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