The IAA One Minute Blog

Having hidden belly fat in midlife is associated with the development of Alzheimer's disease, new research indicates.

Visceral Belly Fat and Alzheimer's Disease

Visceral abdominal fat is the fat surrounding the internal organs deep in the belly. Researchers found that this hidden fat is related to changes that occur in the brain two decades before the earliest memory loss symptoms of Alzheimer's appear.

For this study, researchers analyzed data from 54 cognitively healthy participants, ranging in age from 40 to 60 years old, with an average body mass index of 32. The participants underwent glucose and insulin measurements, as well as glucose tolerance tests

The volume of subcutaneous fat—fat under the skin—and visceral fat were measured using abdominal MRI. A brain MRI measured the cortical thickness of brain regions that are affected by Alzheimer's disease.

A PET scan was used to examine disease pathology in a subset of 32 participants, focusing on amyloid plaques and tau tangles that accumulate in Alzheimer's disease.

When the researchers analyzed the fat measurements and the brain scans together, they found that participants with more visceral fat had larger accumulations of amyloid in their brains, suggesting that they might be at risk of developing Alzheimer's disease.

Visceral Fat and Your Health

Visceral fat is not necessarily reflected in a high body mass index. The best way to lose visceral fat is by maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Ways to reduce visceral fat include:

• Eat a healthy diet
• Exercise
• Good sleep hygiene
• Limit your alcohol intake
• Reduce your stress

More than six million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s disease.By 2050 this number is projected to swell to nearly 13 million.

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