Even if you are obese, your risk of Alzheimer’s disease is low unless you have metabolic syndrome.

A study has shown that even if a person is obese based on body mass index (BMI), the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease is low if the person is relatively healthy and has one or fewer of the diagnostic symptoms of his metabolic syndrome.

The joint research team of Professor Seong-Hoon Kang (Director of the Alzheimer’s Prevention Center) of the Department of Neurology at Korea University Guro Hospital and Professor Sang-Won Seo of the Department of Neurology at Samsung Hospital Seoul analyzed the effects of body weight and metabolic syndrome on the accumulation and progression of substances that cause Alzheimer’s disease and published an article in the international academic journal ‘Alzheimer Research and Treatment’ It was announced on the 11th that it was published in Alzheimer’s Research & Therapy. In a situation where there was no study that took into account metabolic syndrome, which is closely related to obesity, the researchers paid special attention to the incidence of Alzheimer’s disease using brain imaging and cognitive function tests.

The researchers classified 1,736 Koreans aged 45 or older without dementia into overweight (less than 18.5 ㎏/㎡), normal weight, and obese (over 25㎏/㎡) groups according to the their body goals Then, each group was evaluated again For metabolic syndrome, it was divided into metabolic health groups and metabolic syndrome. The metabolic health group was defined as meeting one or less of the metabolic syndrome diagnostic criteria (high blood pressure, high fasting blood sugar, high triglycerides, high low-density cholesterol) without rods- measure waist circumference.

As a result of the study, the positive level of beta amyloid protein, which shows the level of amyloid accumulation, the causative agent of Alzheimer’s disease, was highest in the overweight group (73.9%), and then the normal weight group (46.9). %) and the obese group (37.0%). However, it was found that the effect of obesity in preventing amyloid accumulation was only effective when people were metabolically healthy. Among the obese groups classified according to the presence or absence of metabolic syndrome, the metabolic health group and the metabolic syndrome group showed differences in favorable levels of beta amyloid protein of 29.6% and 42.5%, respectively. Additionally, among the obese groups, the metabolic health group had a larger hippocampus, an area of ​​the brain that controls memory and learning, had a higher cognitive function score, and had the slowest decline in cognitive function in long-term follow-up.

The researchers revealed that metabolic syndrome was proven to play an important role in the process by which body weight affects the accumulation of substances that lead to Alzheimer’s disease. Professor Seong-Hoon Kang said, “Considering that weight and metabolic syndrome can be corrected through diet, exercise, and medication, we expect that maintaining metabolic health and maintaining an appropriate weight will contribute to prevention of depression associated with Alzheimer’s disease he said, “This study” Based on the results, we expect that, if appropriate lifestyle changes are made along with this, we will be able to reduce the effect give the best treatment to the new drug to prevent Alzheimer’s disease that will be introduced in Korea at the end of this time. year.”