Being Obese / Overweight Protects Against Dementia In The Elderly

[haidut]

The studies @Westside PUFAs posted had follow-up periods of 21 and 27 years. Health evaluation were done when the participants were in their 40s.

So, it was truly obesity in middle age then that was detrimental. The study I posted was on elderly. What I am not clear is if the study looked at whether people got fat when they reached "old age" or were obese before that. If it is the former, than as counterintuitive it sounds, the statement "getting fat when you reach senior citizen age may protect you from dementia" would be true according to that study.

 

[Giraffe]

"Obesity in middle age increases the risk of future dementia independently of comorbid conditions."

Obesity in middle age and future risk of dementia: a 27 year longitudinal population based study

What I am not clear is if the study looked at whether people got fat when they reached "old age" or were obese before that. If it is the former, than as counterintuitive it sounds, the statement "getting fat when you reach senior citizen age may protect you from dementia" would be true according to that study.

They were obese in middle age.

 

[haidut]

They were obese in middle age.

OK, so it was indeed obesity in middle age that correlated positively with dementia. In that case, "getting fat in old age" may become the new health motto of the FDA once it realizes that all of its efforts to make Americans thin have failed

 

[mayweatherking]

i have seen this a few times all ready... but it's pretty clear to me, a lot of peopel i know who are obese have amazing sets of hair. i see it in some friends too that used to be overweight in their teens, then they lose a ton of weight when they are in their 20s, and they are sporting these amazing heads of hair in their 20s now

 

[Giraffe]

In that case, "getting fat in old age" may become the new health motto of the FDA once it realizes that all of its efforts to make Americans thin have failed :)

It was about 20 years ago that I first read that being overweight in old age seems protective. Do you think this is enough lead time for them?

 

[Westside PUFAs]

From the study Haidut posted, they admit their limitations:

"Our study has several limitations. Our dementia diagnosis is based on a limited set of cognitive tests, although prior validation studies show a 78% concordance for dementia diagnosis when using these tests compared with the detailed ADAMS clinical evaluation.18 The recent Framingham7 and CFAS8 studies both used more extensive cognitive testing and clinical information when making a dementia diagnosis in their studies, so likely have less diagnostic misclassification. In addition, although we used a validated method to define diagnostic categories for both self-respondents and respondents represented by a proxy, the proportion of the HRS sample represented by a proxy declined significantly between 2000 and 2012 (from 12.5% to 8.2% unweighted), likely due in part to a change in HRS field procedures between these 2 waves. In 2006, the HRS purposefully increased the proportion of interviews administered face-to-face in respondents’ homes and decreased the proportion administered by phone. Since 2006, about one-half of HRS interviews at each wave have been administered face-to-face, while prior to 2006 only about 20% were face-to-face. This shift in survey mode likely encouraged an increase in self-interviews that in prior waves would have been completed by proxy, possibly leading to a change in the calibration of the self- and proxy-cognitive measures to dementia status. Another potential limitation is that changes in diagnostic thresholds and in the frequency of diagnostic testing between 2000 and 2012 may have affected the self-reported prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors, and the relationship of treatments to both cardiovascular and cognitive outcomes. Finally, the accuracy of self-report of cardiovascular risk factors may be less reliable for those with cognitive impairment or dementia."

Prevalence of Dementia in the United States in 2000 and 2012

 

[Westside PUFAs]

Also, its a very small sample of only 10,000 people for each of the two years studied:

"Our study sample of 21 057 included all HRS participants aged 65 or older, living in the community or in nursing homes in 2000 and 2012. There were 10 546 respondents in 2000 and 10 516 respondents in 2012, after excluding 165 (1.5%) and 218 (2.0%) respondents from the 2000 and 2012 samples, respectively, owing to missing data for 1 or more covariates used in the analysis."

and they conclude:

"However, the full set of social, behavioral, and medical factors contributing to the decline in dementia prevalence is still uncertain. Continued monitoring of trends in dementia incidence and prevalence will be important for better gauging the full future societal impact of dementia as the number of older adults increases in the decades ahead, as well as for clarifying potential protective and risk factors for cognitive decline."

 

[SQu]

For myself in my 50s I'm trying to lose weight because I think I can have both health and a better weight if I do it right.
For my parents it has been clear that being thin and active which got them to old age in fairly good shape, then became a weakness.
My dad ignored BPH, it all blew up after mom's death (which was related to a lifetime of dieting - osteoporosis, falls, broken hips, brain bleed). Ops, prostate cancer, recently dutasteride and firmagon injection (against my advice but his choice, much regretted) lost 10% body weight, 6 kg in 10 days, mentally slowed alarmingly, and had low blood sugar, dizziness and falls. I've got him eating 3 hourly now (+ pregnenolone etc) and he regained 5kg rapidly and brain function with it. I think the lost 6kgs which could only have been muscle and bone lost glycogen storage and made it even more important (and it was already a priority) to eat regularly and well. Being thin at this stage in his life is honestly his biggest vulnerability as his health otherwise is excellent, but he needs the strength to survive challenges and keep his brain working ok.

 

[jaa]

I skimmed through the reddit comments on this study and one commenter pointed to a 2016 study associating decreased blood pressure in old age with alzheimers and hypothesized this was due to lack of oxygen being delivered to the brain.

 

[haidut]

I skimmed through the reddit comments on this study and one commenter pointed to a 2016 study associating decreased blood pressure in old age with alzheimers and hypothesized this was due to lack of oxygen being delivered to the brain.

That's actually a very good point. Ray said pretty much the same thing in one of his studies - that increased blood pressure is a compensatory mechanism to get more nutrients/oxygen to hypothyroid/hypoxic cells. You experience the same effects when you run to breathlessness, but in a younger person the blood vessels are usually supple and can dilate without much effort. However, even in young and healthier people strenuous exercise raises BP by 25% - 30%.

 

[jaa]

That's actually a very good point. Ray said pretty much the same thing in one of his studies - that increased blood pressure is a compensatory mechanism to get more nutrients/oxygen to hypothyroid/hypoxic cells. You experience the same effects when you run to breathlessness, but in a younger person the blood vessels are usually supple and can dilate without much effort. However, even in young and healthier people strenuous exercise raises BP by 25% - 30%.

Thanks for the RP link.

 

[ecstatichamster]

Ray has pointed out that cancer peeps often die from cachexia rather than cancer. And old people too.

My dad is 94, not a great 94, but remarkable. He grew a bit heavy in his old age, and that has kept him alive in the nursing home as he has had more tissue to lose. I hate to put it that way, but it's true.

He has lost most of his mind, but I think this is drugs more than anything else. He actually can make jokes and when awake seems kind of with it. He never had Alzheimer's, more of a pretty sudden dementia 3 or 4 years ago, in my opinion brought on by medications he was taking.

 

[haidut]

Ray has pointed out that cancer peeps often die from cachexia rather than cancer. And old people too.

My dad is 94, not a great 94, but remarkable. He grew a bit heavy in his old age, and that has kept him alive in the nursing home as he has had more tissue to lose. I hate to put it that way, but it's true.

He has lost most of his mind, but I think this is drugs more than anything else. He actually can make jokes and when awake seems kind of with it. He never had Alzheimer's, more of a pretty sudden dementia 3 or 4 years ago, in my opinion brought on by medications he was taking.

Sorry to hear about your dad. What has he taking in the nursing home? I bet some sort of cholinergic drug or SSRI.

 

[ecstatichamster]

Sorry to hear about your dad. What has he taking in the nursing home? I bet some sort of cholinergic drug or SSRI.

Well, it's not just the nursing home. At the house before we had to bring him to the home, he was on 10 medications. I don't live close and there's nothing I could do. I tried but really nothing.

At the nursing home, he was in "hospice care" but refused to die. He doesn't seem any worse. But they give him a lot of morphine.

 

[Westside PUFAs]

In that case, "getting fat in old age" may become the new health motto of the FDA once it realizes that all of its efforts to make Americans thin have failed

I think you may mean the USDA? Even still, I don't think the FDA or USDA care about people being fat or not. They don't try to make people thin. People eat what they want on their own volition. Most Americans don't even know what there FDA is, never mind them influencing what they eat.

 

[Birdie]

Interesting... Well, not sure I have much to add, but my own experience is that I do better, for now, at a lower weight. I move better, feel more alert... I'm 72. I'm just sticking with the fat cell/pufa release estrogen theory.

There seems to be a lot of interest in debunking thinness and looking to elevate fatness. The term curvy is used as if a thinnie wouldn't have a curve. Of course, the food industry would encourage studies showing people should eat more for their health. Maybe that is key here.

Modern dieting is a huge problem, but the dieters I see are overweight. Constant dieting for short periods, then back to overeating and more gaining. Another big business there. I tend to follow the money though that phrase is irksome.