Deep Belly Fat May Help Spur Alzheimers Decades Before Symptoms Begin [Video]

Key Takeaways

New research shows a strong relationship between the buildup of fat around the organs in midlife and brain markers of Alzheimer’s diseaseObese people may be raising their brain levels of Alzheimer’s-linked proteins decades before symptoms beginThere are ways to reduce your risk, starting with weight loss

TUESDAY, Dec. 3, 2024 (HealthDay News) — An accumulation of fat lurking around the organs of obese people is strongly linked to a buildup of Alzheimer’s-linked proteins in the brain, new research finds.

Buildup of this visceral fat in middle age may boost levels of the two damaging brain proteins, called amyloid and tau, explained a team led by Dr. Mahsa Dolatshahi, of Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.

Actual symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease may not arise until many years later.

“Our study showed that higher visceral fat was associated with higher PET [scan] levels of the two hallmark pathologic proteins of Alzheimer’s disease — amyloid and …