A high BMI may reduce the risk of dementia
While overweight is one of the greatest health scourges worldwide, a recent study would upset all the hitherto known negative points of obesity.
Indeed, a team of researchers from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine conducted a study to find out if there was a link between the Body Mass Index ( BMI, take the test yourself ) and the appearance of ‘dementia * . The results of this study are staggering.
To carry out their research, the team studied the medical records of around two million Britons. The study population was 55 years old on average at the start of the study . The results of this were recently published in The Lancet Diabetes and Endocrinology .
It should be noted that the medical files studied concerned people whose average BMI was 26.5 kg/m 2 , ie slightly overweight . They were followed on average between 9 and 20 years. The results showed that people participating in this study who had a low BMI had a higher risk of dementia than people with a high BMI. Specifically, it was noted that people with morbid obesity (ie having a BMI greater than 40 kg/m²) had a 29% lower risk of dementia. Conversely, people with a Body Mass Index less than or equal to 20 kg/m² had a 24% increased risk of dementia .
It should be remembered that we must remain cautious about the results of this study and that other factors would have to be taken into account. Moreover, Dr. QUIZILBASH, one of the authors of the study, specifies that “ the reasons are not clear. Many factors could play a role, such as diet, physical activity, frailty, genetic factors or changes in weight ”.
It should also be remembered that being overweight is a risk factor for many other diseases, such as cardiovascular diseases, respiratory diseases, and also presenting metabolic and even carcinogenic risks.
* Dementia : Dementia is a syndrome, usually chronic or progressive, in which there is an impairment of cognitive function (ability to perform thought operations), greater than that which could be expected from normal aging. It affects memory, reasoning, orientation, comprehension, calculation, learning ability, language and judgment .
Stephen Paul is the lead author and founder of My Health Sponsor. Holder of a diploma in health and well-being coaching with more than 200 articles in the field of health, he makes it a point of honor to offer advice based on reliable information, based on scientific research, and verified by health professionals.