Although about 40.000 new cases are diagnosed each year, it is estimated that 80% of mild cases are still undiagnosed.
A situation that "prevents the early establishment of pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatments that slow down cognitive deterioration and control behavioral disorders."
Is being overweight a risk factor for Alzheimer's?
As the SEN points out, “half of the cases of the disease Alzheimer'sr can be attributed to nine potentially modifiable risk factors, such as diabetes, hypertension or physical inactivity.”
And a recent international study, published in Journal of Alzheimer's Disease and in which researchers from the Parc Sanitari Sant Joan de Déu (Barcelona), has confirmed it: being overweight could be key to developing dementia.
The prevalence of dementia is likely to increase in the coming decades due to an aging population; and there is still no cure for dementia,” explains the Dr. Karel Kostev, from the Epidemiology Department of Disease Analyzer (IQVIA).
- "In view of this, different studies have been carried out that investigate the risk factors for dementia in order to prevent its onset, particularly in elderly patients."
The study analyzed 296.767 people with low weight (BMI less than 18,5), normal weight (between 18,5 and 22,5), overweight (25-30) and obesity (BMI greater than 30).
In addition to weight, age (over 65 years), sex and comorbidities documented five years prior to the diagnosis of the disease have also been taken into account, whether Alzheimer's, vascular dementia (which is characterized by problems of reasoning and memory) or senile dementia.
And as a result, the research specifies, obesity is closely related in women to Alzheimer's, while overweight is closely related to senile dementia.
In the case of men, obesity is also a risk factor for the diagnosis of Alzheimer's and low weight for dementia.
Everything indicates that there is a strong and positive relationship between underweight and dementia in older men.
In this context, cognitive impairments should be periodically evaluated in older male patients with a BMI <18,5 kg/m2”, highlighted the first author, the Doctor Louis Jacob, from the Research and Development Unit of the Parc Sanitari Sant Joan de Déu.
“Additionally, interventions targeting weight gain should be implemented in this population, and these interventions may include nutritional supplements. On the other hand, being overweight may protect against dementia in older women (not Alzheimer's), suggesting that moderate excess weight in old age may be acceptable from a cognitive perspective.”