Recent research presented at the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) conference suggests that reducing visceral fat may play a critical role in preventing or delaying the onset of Alzheimer’s disease, particularly in individuals with obesity. According to the study, higher levels of visceral fat were found to account for 77 percent of the link between high body mass index (BMI) and Alzheimer’s disease development.

The research, which utilized positron emission tomography (PET) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), involved a cohort of 80 participants with an average age of 49.4 and an average BMI of 32.31—over half of whom were considered obese. The study revealed that elevated visceral adipose tissue (VAT) was significantly associated with higher Centiloid scores, which are used to measure amyloid and tau proteins in the brain, markers linked to Alzheimer’s disease. The authors of the study noted that VAT plays a pivotal role in mediating the impact of BMI on Alzheimer’s risk.

Dr. Masha Dolatshahi, the lead author of the study, highlighted that this was the first study to demonstrate the connection between visceral fat and Alzheimer’s-related proteins in midlife individuals, far before the development of dementia symptoms. In addition to VAT, the study also found correlations between higher Centiloid scores and factors such as subcutaneous fat, BMI, and insulin resistance (HOMAIR). Dr. Cyrus A. Raji, a senior author of the study, emphasized that addressing the metabolic and lipid issues associated with higher body fat is key to managing Alzheimer’s risk in obese individuals.

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