New Delhi, Nov 27 (NationPress) Men with cardiovascular disease risk factors such as type 2 diabetes, obesity, high blood pressure, and smoking may face a decline in brain health, leading to dementia a full decade earlier than women, according to a study released on Wednesday.
The results of a comprehensive study, published in the Journal of Neurology Neurosurgery & Psychiatry, revealed that men with these risk factors could see the onset of dementia occurring between their mid-50s and mid-70s, while women with similar conditions are most affected between their mid-60s and mid-70s.
Researchers from Imperial College London, UK identified that the areas of the brain most at risk include those responsible for processing auditory information, aspects of visual perception, emotional processing, and memory. They found that the harmful effects were apparent even in individuals who did not possess the high-risk APOE4 gene, a known genetic risk factor for Alzheimer's disease.
“The harmful impact of cardiovascular risk was widespread across various cortical regions, demonstrating how cardiovascular issues can impair multiple cognitive functions,” the researchers stated.
The study involved 34,425 participants drawn from the UK Biobank, all of whom underwent both abdominal and brain scans. The participants had an average age of 63, with ages ranging from 45 to 82.
The findings indicated that both men and women with elevated levels of abdominal fat and visceral adipose tissue exhibited decreased brain grey matter volume.
High cardiovascular risk and obesity contributed to a gradual reduction in brain volume over several decades, according to the researchers.
The team emphasized the necessity of addressing modifiable cardiovascular risk factors, including obesity, to treat or prevent neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s.
Furthermore, the study highlighted the critical importance of aggressively targeting cardiovascular risk factors before the age of 55 to stave off neurodegeneration and Alzheimer’s disease. This approach may also help prevent other cardiovascular incidents, such as myocardial infarction [heart attack] and stroke.
While the study is observational and does not allow for definitive conclusions, early intervention in addressing cardiovascular risk and obesity may prove essential.
