Midlife and Late-Life Obesity and the Risk of Dementia

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Abstract
Dementia prevalence will quadruple by 2047.1 Obesity, hyperinsulinemia, and diabetes mellitus are increasing worldwide.2-5 High adiposity predicts hyperinsulinemia and diabetes mellitus,6 both risk factors for dementia.7-12 Although high adiposity in middle age seems to be related to greater dementia risk,13,14 studies that explore this association in the elderly are conflicting.15-18 Several reasons may explain these inconsistencies: (1) body mass index (BMI) may not be a good measure of adiposity in elderly people,19 (2) the association between high BMI and adverse outcomes may be attenuated with age,20 and (3) low BMI is a marker of weight loss, frailty, and preclinical dementia.21,22