Health
Alzheimer’s risk could rise with common condition affecting millions, study finds
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The first study to evaluate the link between Alzheimer’s disease and body weight found a significant association.
Researchers at Washington University Medicine in St. Louis, Missouri, discovered that Alzheimer’s blood biomarkers increased 95% faster in people with obesity than in non-obese individuals.
The study, which was presented Tuesday at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) in Chicago, investigated five years of data from 407 participants from the Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative, including PET scans (medical imaging) and blood samples.
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The researchers assessed the association between Alzheimer’s biomarkers and body mass index (BMI), according to a press release.
When the participants were first measured, a higher BMI was associated with lower Alzheimer’s blood biomarkers due to blood dilution, since people with higher body weight often have larger blood volume.
Alzheimer’s blood biomarkers increased 95% faster in people with obesity, the study found. (iStock)
But when the researchers followed the same participants over a longer period, they found that those with obesity developed a greater Alzheimer’s disease burden than those without obesity.
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In analyzing how the Alzheimer’s biomarkers matched up with PET scan results, they noted a buildup of amyloid plaques in the brain — a central hallmark of the most common type of dementia.
PET scans reveal a buildup of amyloid plaques in the brain – a “central hallmark” of Alzheimer’s. (iStock)
In an interview with Fox News Digital, the study authors discussed the impact of these findings.
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“Our study shows that over a five-year period, obesity is associated with a steady increase in Alzheimer’s-related pathology,” said lead author Dr. Soheil Mohammadi, a post-doctoral research associate at the Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology, part of WashU Medicine.
“What surprised me was how sensitive the blood biomarkers were in detecting this relationship. They captured subtle changes even better than brain imaging.”
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Senior study author Dr. Cyrus Raji, associate professor of radiology and neurology at Washington University, noted that the progression of Alzheimer’s is “influenced by pathologies happening overall in the body, such as obesity.”
“It is critical to preserve brain health by optimizing body health as well,” he said.
“It is critical to preserve brain health by optimizing body health as well,” the lead researcher said. (iStock)
Recent clinical trials (EVOKE and EVOKE+) have explored whether GLP-1 drugs such as semaglutide (Ozempic) could slow cognitive decline in people already diagnosed with early Alzheimer’s disease.
“While the recent Evoke trials failed to show an effect of Ozempic for the treatment of Alzheimer’s dementia, our work should motivate future trials to determine if this class of drugs can help prevent Alzheimer’s by treating obesity earlier in life,” Raji said. “Caretakers and clinicians are key partners in making such trials happen.”
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One limitation of this research, according to Mohammadi, is the fact that not all body fat carries the risk of Alzheimer’s disease.
“Our prior work shows that belly fat, rather than fat under the skin, drives much of obesity’s impact on the brain,” he said. “Future studies should distinguish between these fat types instead of treating obesity as a single category.”
“Our prior work shows that belly fat, rather than fat under the skin, drives much of obesity’s impact on the brain.”
Fox News senior medical analyst Dr. Marc Siegel, who was not involved in the research, said he considers this a “very important study.”
“I think this finding makes complete sense, because obesity leads directly to inflammation and insulin resistance, which provoke neuro inflammation — one of the pillars of Alzheimer’s development,” he told Fox News Digital.
Other risk factors that often coincide with obesity — such as diabetes, hypertension and inflammation — may also contribute to Alzheimer’s biomarker changes. (iStock)
The study did have some limitations, the researchers noted.
The study sample was relatively small and specific, and may not represent the general population. Also, the BMI measurement can’t distinguish between fat and muscle mass or reflect differences in fat distribution that may influence Alzheimer’s risk.
The study also relies on observational data, which can reveal associations but can’t prove that obesity directly causes faster Alzheimer’s pathology, the researchers noted.
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Other risk factors that often coincide with obesity — such as diabetes, hypertension and inflammation — may also contribute to Alzheimer’s biomarker changes.
This initial research sparks the need for larger studies in more diverse populations with longer follow-ups.
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At 75, Jane Seymour isn’t fighting the years under her belt — she’s leaning into them. The former Bond girl in “Live and Let Die” and star of “Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman” has a simple outlook on aging: She’s just grateful for the opportunity.
Her perspective shifted radically in her 40s after a near-death experience involving anaphylactic shock, according to an interview the actress did with Women’s Health.
“I remember looking at my body from above and thinking, ‘That’s your vehicle. I am responsible for taking care of this car,’” Seymour recalled.
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The actress shared the following four key habits she uses to navigate her 70s with vitality.
1. Embrace a positive attitude
Seymour’s perspective shifted in her 40s after a near-death experience involving anaphylactic shock, she told Women’s Health. (Michael Loccisano/Getty Images for Elton John AIDS Foundation)
For Seymour, the mental game of aging is just as important as the physical. She said she approaches every day with a sense of optimism, which she describes as “getting up and not giving up.”
In a recent interview with Future of Personal Health, Seymour said that being depressed over lost youth is “redundant.” Instead of mourning the past, she embraces the present.
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“You were 20, and you had whatever that experience was,” she said. “Now, maybe you’re 70, and it’s a whole new world.”
2. Know your body
Seymour’s fitness routine is built on consistency rather than intensity, she shared. The actress aims to work out at least three times a week, but refuses to push herself to the point of injury.
“You were 20, and you had whatever that experience was,” she said. “Now, maybe you’re 70, and it’s a whole new world.” (Jane Seymour/Instagram)
“I listen to my body,” she told Women’s Health. “I’m not going to overdo it.”
Seymour’s workouts focus on strengthening her core, arms and legs. While her preference is the reformer (a Pilates machine), she is highly adaptable.
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When traveling without workout equipment, Seymour said she performs bodyweight exercises, even doing incline press-ups against a kitchen counter.
“I’m not going to pretend I’m 20 when I’m 70,” she said. “I’m going to be the best I can be at the age I am.”
3. Nourish your body
Rather than fighting the natural signs of a life well-lived, Seymour said she views her appearance as a professional asset.
Seymour focuses on a rigorous skincare and nutritional routine to maintain the “vehicle” she was given, she said. (Emma Mcintyre/Getty Images)
“I’m not chasing wrinkles,” she added. “My laugh lines and even my frown lines are useful in my work – they’re part of my toolkit.”
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The actress said she focuses on a rigorous skincare and nutritional routine to maintain the “vehicle” she was given.
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This includes a daily regimen of exfoliation and hydration, alongside a diet rich in fruits and vegetables.
“I’m going to be the best I can be at the age I am.”
When her filming schedule makes fresh meals difficult, Seymour supplements with antioxidant blends to ensure there are “no nutritional gaps,” aiming for a holistic balance that allows her to “think sharper and move stronger.”
4. Nourish your mind
Perhaps the most profound tool in Seymour’s toolkit, she said, is her commitment to purpose. Inspired by her mother, a survivor of WWII concentration camps, Seymour believes that longevity is tied to how much one gives back to the world.
Seymour, inspired by her mother, a survivor of WWII concentration camps, created Open Hearts Foundation to give back to the community. (Jane Seymour/Instagram)
“My mother always said there’s someone worse off than you, and you can find purpose by helping others – listening and making them feel heard,” she shared.
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This philosophy led Seymour to found the Open Hearts Foundation, a nonprofit that empowers others through grant-making and volunteerism.
“That’s the best way to end the day — knowing it wasn’t wasted.”
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The idea that aging is a steady, predictable process is being challenged by a new book, which describes a so-called “flicker stage” where some aspects of aging may briefly reverse.
Stuart Kaplan and Marcus Riley, authors of the book “Your Aging Advantage,” say aging may be more fluid than chronological age alone would suggest. They call this phenomenon the “flicker stage,” just one of seven stages of aging.
The “flicker stage” suggests functional age isn’t fixed, with people shifting between levels of youth and vitality based on lifestyle and mindset, the authors state.
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Periods of feeling significantly younger, followed by times of feeling one’s age, may reflect what the authors describe as the “flicker stage.”
Riley said healthier aging involves “flickering back” to a younger state, noting that while stress or setbacks can make people feel older, those shifts aren’t permanent.
The secret to aging healthier is learning how to “flicker back” to a younger state when life pushes you forward, the authors said. (Milan Markovic/iStock)
“Through positive interventions, we have the ability to flicker back to the stage of age we want to be in … these setbacks or unforeseen circumstances might propel us to a different stage of aging, but we have this ability to flip it back through positive intervention.”
“Aging or growing older is [not] a problem to fix… it’s an opportunity to be seized.”
Riley said this requires identifying personal “flicker triggers” — physical, psychological, social or environmental shifts that help reset one’s pace, such as exercise or renewed social connection.
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Most people already live with a “feels-like” age that doesn’t match their chronological age, said Kaplan, comparing it to a weather report.
“In the summertime, the weatherperson might say it’s 85 degrees outside, but with the humidity, it feels like 95… The feels-like age is the lived age, as compared to the chronological age or the age on your birth certificate.”
The authors suggest that engaging in your community is one way to activate the flicker stage. (iStock)
Focusing on the “lived age” may allow people to intentionally shift into a younger stage, according to the authors.
Instead of “aging in place,” which focuses on where one lives, they suggest focusing on “aging on pace.”
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“It’s more about what’s important to us on a personal level… do we want to stay in employment and work for as long as we can? Do we want to be shifting gears… and pursuing other interests and pastimes that are important to us?” Riley asked.
Kaplan said the common focus on age 65 as a point of decline reflects a socially imposed retirement benchmark, not a biological marker.
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“It comes from the Social Security Act that was created in 1935 in the United States. And here we are 90 years later, and we’re still thinking that 65 is an important age…. We didn’t use the word retirement back then. I mean, have you ever seen a farmer back in the 1800s… that says, ‘Oh, we’re going to retire because Grandpa is now going to be 62 or 65 years old?’”
The flicker effect works best when you stop viewing aging as a “downhill” perspective, the experts said. (iStock)
The flicker effect works best when you stop viewing aging as a “downhill” perspective, Riley and Kaplan said.
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Even after a health setback shifts someone into a later stage, maintaining a positive and active approach may help move them back toward an earlier stage of aging, according to the authors.
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Ultimately, the goal is to stop seeing the passage of time as a problem to be solved, Riley said.
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“Aging or growing older is [not] a problem to fix.… We want the mindset [that] it’s an opportunity to be seized.”
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