TY - JOUR
T1 - Associations of body habitus and its changes with incident dementia in older adults
AU - Wu, Zimu
AU - Owen, Alice
AU - Woods, Robyn L.
AU - Cribb, Lachlan
AU - Alharbi, Tagrid
AU - Zhou, Zhen
AU - Chong, Trevor T.J.
AU - Orchard, Suzanne G.
AU - Shah, Raj C.
AU - Wolfe, Rory
AU - Torres, Daniel
AU - McNeil, John J.
AU - Sheets, Kerry M.
AU - Murray, Anne M.
A2 - Ryan, Joanne
N1 - Funding Information:
This work was supported by the National Institute on Aging and the National Cancer Institute at the National Institutes of Health (U01AG029824 and U19AG062682); the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) of Australia (334047 and 1127060); Monash University (Australia) and the Victorian Cancer Agency (Australia). J.R. is funded by a National Health and Medical Research Council Leadership 1 Investigator Grant (2016438). Open access publishing facilitated by Monash University, as part of the Wiley ‐ Monash University agreement via the Council of Australian University Librarians.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2024 The Authors. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of The American Geriatrics Society.
PY - 2024/4
Y1 - 2024/4
N2 - Background: This study examined the associations of body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference (WC), as well as their short- and long-term changes over time, with incident dementia in older individuals. Methods: Data came from 18,837 community-dwelling individuals aged 65+ years from Australia and the United States, who were relatively healthy without major cognitive impairment at enrolment. Anthropometric measures were prospectively assessed at baseline, as well as change and variability from baseline to year two (three time-points). In a subgroup (n = 11,176), self-reported weight at age 18 and 70+ years was investigated. Dementia cases satisfied DSM-IV criteria. Cox regression was used to examine the associations between anthropometric measures and incident risk of dementia. Results: Compared to normal weight, an overweight (HR: 0.67, 95%CI: 0.57–0.79, p < 0.001) or obese BMI (HR: 0.73, 95%CI: 0.60–0.89, p = 0.002), or a larger WC (elevated, HR: 0.71, 95%CI: 0.58–0.86, p < 0.001; highly elevated, HR: 0.65, 95%CI: 0.55–0.78, p < 0.001; relative to low) at baseline was associated with lower dementia risk. In contrast, substantial increases in BMI (>5%) over 2 years after baseline were associated with higher dementia risk (HR: 1.49, 95% CI: 1.17–1.91, p = 0.001). Increased dementia risk was also seen with an underweight BMI at baseline and a 2-year BMI decrease (>5%), but these associations appeared only in the first 4 years of follow-up. Compared to normal weight at both age 18 and 70+ years, being obese at both times was associated with increased dementia risk (HR: 2.27, 95%CI: 1.22–4.24, p = 0.01), while obesity only at age 70+ years was associated with decreased risk (HR: 0.70, 95%CI: 0.51–0.95, p = 0.02). Conclusions: Our findings suggest that long-term obesity and weight gain in later life may be risk factors for dementia. Being underweight or having substantial weight loss in old age may be early markers of pre-clinical dementia.
AB - Background: This study examined the associations of body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference (WC), as well as their short- and long-term changes over time, with incident dementia in older individuals. Methods: Data came from 18,837 community-dwelling individuals aged 65+ years from Australia and the United States, who were relatively healthy without major cognitive impairment at enrolment. Anthropometric measures were prospectively assessed at baseline, as well as change and variability from baseline to year two (three time-points). In a subgroup (n = 11,176), self-reported weight at age 18 and 70+ years was investigated. Dementia cases satisfied DSM-IV criteria. Cox regression was used to examine the associations between anthropometric measures and incident risk of dementia. Results: Compared to normal weight, an overweight (HR: 0.67, 95%CI: 0.57–0.79, p < 0.001) or obese BMI (HR: 0.73, 95%CI: 0.60–0.89, p = 0.002), or a larger WC (elevated, HR: 0.71, 95%CI: 0.58–0.86, p < 0.001; highly elevated, HR: 0.65, 95%CI: 0.55–0.78, p < 0.001; relative to low) at baseline was associated with lower dementia risk. In contrast, substantial increases in BMI (>5%) over 2 years after baseline were associated with higher dementia risk (HR: 1.49, 95% CI: 1.17–1.91, p = 0.001). Increased dementia risk was also seen with an underweight BMI at baseline and a 2-year BMI decrease (>5%), but these associations appeared only in the first 4 years of follow-up. Compared to normal weight at both age 18 and 70+ years, being obese at both times was associated with increased dementia risk (HR: 2.27, 95%CI: 1.22–4.24, p = 0.01), while obesity only at age 70+ years was associated with decreased risk (HR: 0.70, 95%CI: 0.51–0.95, p = 0.02). Conclusions: Our findings suggest that long-term obesity and weight gain in later life may be risk factors for dementia. Being underweight or having substantial weight loss in old age may be early markers of pre-clinical dementia.
KW - body mass index
KW - dementia
KW - older adults
KW - waist circumference
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85182832683&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1111/jgs.18757
DO - 10.1111/jgs.18757
M3 - Article
C2 - 38243627
AN - SCOPUS:85182832683
SN - 0002-8614
VL - 72
SP - 1023
EP - 1034
JO - Journal of the American Geriatrics Society
JF - Journal of the American Geriatrics Society
IS - 4
ER -
