Big belly in your 40s raises Alzheimer's risk in your 70s

[China]

Big belly in 40s raises Alzheimer's risk in 70s

By Will Dunham

Wed Mar 26, 4:04 PM ET

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Having a big belly in middle age appears to greatly increase one's risk of developing Alzheimer's disease or another form of dementia decades later, researchers said on Wednesday.

Their study tracked 6,583 people in northern California for an average of 36 years starting when they were ages 40 to 45. Their abdominal size was measured at the outset of the study.

A total of 1,049 of them -- nearly 16 percent -- went on to develop Alzheimer's disease or some other form of dementia by the time they reached their 70s. Those in the upper 20 percent in terms of belly size in middle age were almost three times more likely to develop dementia than those in the bottom 20 percent of belly size, the researchers found.

Alzheimer's disease is the most common form of dementia among older people, and researchers have been working to understand the causes and risk factors for the brain disease.

Belly size in middle age was a much better predictor of later development of dementia than looking merely at obesity as shown by a person's body mass index, a measure of body fat based on height and weight, the researchers said.

"It's not just weight, it's where you carry your weight that is a very important risk factor," said Rachel Whitmer, a research scientist at the Kaiser Permanente Division of Research in Oakland, California, who led the study.

"If you have two people who are both 10 pounds (4.5 kg) overweight, one carries it around the middle and one carries it around the hips, that person who carries it around the middle needs to know they are at greater risk," Whitmer said in a telephone interview.

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[Dan T.]

Somewhat related: In 30 years, The Tailgate section of Extremeskins will consist of nonsensical rantings and disjointed random musings posted without any sense of thought or memory.

Oh wait, we're almost there now.

[BigMike619]

Somewhat related: In 30 years, The Tailgate section of Extremeskins will consist of nonsensical rantings and disjointed random musings posted without any sense of thought or memory.

Oh wait, we're almost there now.

HAHAHAH!!

I was just going to say "Man the conversations in here will be great in 30 years!!"

We can have 2 threads total and nobody will get bored because every day will seem like a new topic!!

[Raub]

Maybe it has nothing to do with the belly and more to do with the factors that cause the belly. Just a thought.

[China]

Maybe it has nothing to do with the belly and more to do with the factors that cause the belly. Just a thought.

So you're saying correlation does not equal causation. :thumbsup:

Mine is due mostly to beer. I certainly hope beer doesn't promote Alzheimer's.

[Prosperity]

So you're saying correlation does not equal causation. :thumbsup:

Mine is due mostly to beer. I certainly hope beer doesn't promote Alzheimer's.

Anything that ****s with your central nervous system may be a factor... I wouldn't be surprised if long term alcohol use caused long term brain problems.