Obesity could be a cause of dementia: being obese in middle age dramatically increases the risk of dementia in later life, US researchers said on Wednesday.

A survey published in the British Medical Journal was based on 27- year health records of 10,276 people aged 40 to 45 who are members of a US medical care programme.

Measurements based on body mass suggest that obese people with a body mass index (BMI) of at least 30 have a 74 per cent increased risk of developing degenerative brain diseases including   Alzheimer’s later in life.

Those who were overweight were 35 per cent more likely to have dementia than those of normal weight. According to Doctor Rachel Whitmer, who led the study, women who were obese or overweight were most at risk.

The results show a clear link between being overweight and developing Alzheimer’s disease. The doctors who carried out the research believe that the same cardiovascular problems that raise the chances of heart disease also put a strain on the blood vessels that supply the brain.

The researchers also considered the idea that Heart disease and Diabetes are more common in the obese and overweight, but even when compensated for, the correlation between obesity and dementia remained. If correct, the research provides yet more evidence that obesity is a public health issue that needs to be tackled urgently.

The authors of the report wrote: ‘If these results can be obtained elsewhere, perhaps treatment of obesity might reduce the risk of dementia.’

Amicus/CPHVA director Mark Jones said: ‘The California study serves to give us yet another example of why we should take the obesity issue seriously. Not only is the ever-expanding British waistline setting us up for a massive increase in circulatory disease and diabetes, but we now have evidence of potential impact on brain function.

‘These warnings are not to be ignored and we are keen to work with government to develop and implement robust health enhancing strategies.”

Some estimates suggest that around two-thirds of Britons are either obese or overweight, and that current trends mean this proportion is likely to increase

The Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists is asking service providers to improve on the ‘patchy’ service they provide to the 750,000 people with dementia across the UK. Mary Heritage, RCSLT advisor and panel chair said: ‘While in some places there are centres of excellence where SLTs are an integral part of a specialist team, in many others therapists are struggling to accommodate the needs of people with dementia on general adult case- loads without the support of specialist colleagues.’

Copyright TG Scott & Son Ltd. Jun 2005

Source: Community Practitioner