Health
Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s risk is higher for people with body fat in two specific areas
![Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s risk is higher for people with body fat in two specific areas Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s risk is higher for people with body fat in two specific areas](https://static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2024/07/belly-fat.jpg)
Excess fat in certain areas of the human body could make people more prone to neurological diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s, a new study suggests.
The study, published in the journal Neurology — the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology — linked higher levels of body fat in the arms and belly with a greater chance of developing these conditions.
In another key finding, people who have more muscle strength were at lower risk of developing these diseases.
HIDDEN BELLY FAT COULD SIGNAL ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE RISK 15 YEARS BEFORE SYMPTOMS SHOW UP, STUDY FINDS
“Overall, the key takeaway message from our study finding is that body composition and cardiovascular diseases may be potential targets for preventing neurodegenerative diseases,” said lead study author Shishi Xu, a clinician in the Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism at West China Hospital of Sichuan University, in a statement to Fox News Digital.
The study group that had higher levels of belly fat had a 13% greater chance of developing neurological diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s compared to those with lower levels, the researchers found.
Excess fat in certain areas of the body could make people more prone to neurological diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s, a new study suggests. (iStock)
Participants with higher levels of arm fat had an 18% higher risk.
Those with high muscle strength were 26% less likely to develop these types of diseases than those with low levels of strength, according to Xu.
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Cardiovascular disease risk plays a role, too, she said.
“If you are exposed to adverse body composition patterns, such as belly fat, you will have a higher risk of developing cardiovascular diseases, which significantly increases your risk of future neurodegenerative diseases,” Xu said.
![Arm fat](https://a57.foxnews.com/static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2024/07/1200/675/arm-fat.jpg?ve=1&tl=1)
Higher levels of body fat in the arms and belly were linked to a greater chance of developing neurological conditions. (iStock)
“On contrast, actively preventing CVDs at an early stage after exposure to adverse body composition patterns may decrease your future risk of neurodegenerative diseases by 10.7% to 35.3%.”
Dr. James Galvin, director of the Comprehensive Center for Brain Health at the University of Miami Health System, was not involved in the study, but said the findings did not surprise him.
“Body composition and cardiovascular diseases may be potential targets for preventing neurodegenerative diseases.”
“This is consistent with a body of literature suggesting a bidirectional relationship between brain and body,” he told Fox News Digital.
“Loss of muscle mass and strength (sarcopenia) and increase in body fat, particularly visceral fat, are risk factors for cognitive impairment.”
Potential limitations
In observational studies like this one, it can be tough to distinguish between correlation or causation, Xu said.
“Although we have made significant efforts in this study to approach a causal relationship, we acknowledge that residual reverse causation may still bias our findings,” she told Fox News Digital.
![Nutritionist](https://a57.foxnews.com/static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2024/02/1200/675/nutritionist-appt.jpg?ve=1&tl=1)
Taking steps to achieve healthier body composition may be more effective for preventing neurological diseases than general weight control, researchers said. (iStock)
Although the study suggests that body composition and cardiovascular diseases may be potential targets for preventing neurodegenerative diseases, Xu noted that more evidence is needed to confirm that these are causal risk factors.
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Galvin noted that another major limitation of the study was the lack of diversity in the sample.
“This is unfortunate, as obesity is an important risk factor in many minoritized populations, and our own research has demonstrated that physical frailty is an important mediator of cognitive decline in African American older adults,” he said.
Recommended lifestyle changes
Based on the findings, the researchers said, taking steps to achieve healthier body composition — such as reducing belly and arm fat while promoting healthy muscle development — may be more effective for preventing neurological diseases than general weight control.
“Lifestyle modifications like engaging in resistance training, reducing sedentary behavior and adhering to a balanced diet can be effective in reducing abdominal fat as well as enhancing muscle strength, which may potentially offer greater neuroprotective benefits than weight-focused anti-obesity medications,” Xu said.
The researchers also stated that early management of cardiovascular diseases may reduce the risk of neurodegenerative diseases.
![Girl stepping on scale](https://a57.foxnews.com/static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2024/03/1200/675/girl-stepping-on-scale.jpg?ve=1&tl=1)
The quality or distribution of muscle and fat, rather than the absolute weight, may be more important for your health, according to researchers. (iStock)
The quality or distribution of muscle and fat, rather than the absolute weight, may be more important for your health, according to Xu.
“In recent years, due to the widespread use and even abuse of weight-loss drugs, people have become overly concerned with overall weight and often overlook the key role of different body components,” she said.
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Muscle strength is often overlooked, the researcher noted.
“Our current study findings highlight that enhancing muscle strength is important and may potentially offer neuroprotective benefits,” she said.
![Woman lifting weights](https://a57.foxnews.com/static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2024/01/1200/675/woman-lifting-weights.jpg?ve=1&tl=1)
“Our current study findings highlight that enhancing muscle strength is important and may potentially offer neuroprotective benefits,” the researcher said. (iStock)
“Therefore, maintaining a healthy lifestyle and enhancing your muscle strength are crucial.”
Galvin agreed, recommending that people should focus on reducing body fat while maintaining skeletal muscle by adding resistance and flexibility training and changing nutrition patterns.
For more Health articles, visit www.foxnews/health
Added the doctor, “As we learn more about the impact of lifestyle on brain health and risk of disease, it is increasingly evident that there are many ways to build a better brain as we age.”
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Health
Alzheimer’s blood test detects disease with 90% accuracy in routine doctors’ appointments: study
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A simple blood test has been shown to detect Alzheimer’s disease in routine health care settings with up to 90% accuracy, according to Swedish researchers.
The findings were presented at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference in Philadelphia on Sunday.
The test works by measuring the levels of Plasma Phospho-Tau217, a biomarker that is linked to the presence of Alzheimer’s pathology in the brain.
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It has been shown to detect the disease even before the person begins experiencing symptoms, researchers say.
“The tested blood test can detect Alzheimer’s disease with high accuracy even in real-life settings in primary care,” said study author Oskar Hansson, M.D., head of the Clinical Memory Research Unit at Lund University, Sweden, in an email to Fox News Digital.
A simple blood test has been shown to detect Alzheimer’s disease in routine health care settings with up to 90% accuracy. (iStock)
It is currently difficult for primary care physicians to diagnose Alzheimer’s disease due to a lack of adequate tools, he said.
In the most recent study — also published in the journal JAMA — 1,213 people who were experiencing mild memory loss were evaluated by either primary care doctors or memory specialists.
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The patients then underwent both the blood test and cerebrospinal fluid tests, and researchers compared the results.
“Primary care doctors’ accuracy in identifying Alzheimer’s disease was 61%, while specialist physicians were correct 73% of the time,” study author Sebastian Palmqvist, associate professor of neurology at Lund University, stated in a press release.
By comparison, the blood test had an accuracy of 90%.
![Man blood test](https://a57.foxnews.com/static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2024/06/1200/675/man-blood-test.jpg?ve=1&tl=1)
It is currently difficult for primary care physicians to diagnose Alzheimer’s disease because of a lack of adequate tools, according to researchers. (iStock)
“I was surprised by how well the blood test worked in real-life settings in primary care, where the patients are older and have more comorbidities like kidney disease, which can affect the blood test results,” Hansson told Fox News Digital.
The main limitation of the research was that it was only conducted in Sweden.
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“We need studies in the U.S. and other countries to better understand the generalizability of the findings,” Hansson said.
“I think it will take one or two years before there are clinical guidelines in place for use of blood tests in primary care.”
Looking ahead, there is a need for clear guidelines on how doctors should use these tests in clinical practice, according to the researchers.
“My prediction is that highly accurate blood tests will very soon be recommended for use in patients with cognitive impairment who are assessed at clinics specialized in memory disorders,” Hansson said.
![PET scan results](https://a57.foxnews.com/static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2024/07/1200/675/Alzheimers.png?ve=1&tl=1)
The blood test could help to reduce the need for more advanced and expensive methods, like PET scans and cerebrospinal tests. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File)
This could help to reduce the need for more advanced and expensive methods, like PET scans and cerebrospinal tests.
“I think it will take one or two years before there are clinical guidelines in place for use of blood tests in primary care,” Hansson also noted.
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The researchers do not currently recommend screenings for “cognitively normal people” — as there are not any approved treatments for people with Alzheimer’s disease pathology who do not have cognitive impairment, the researcher said.
![blood tests](https://a57.foxnews.com/static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2021/08/1200/675/blood-test-alzheimers-detection.jpg?ve=1&tl=1)
“My prediction is that highly accurate blood tests will very soon be recommended for use in patients with cognitive impairment who are assessed at clinics specialized in memory disorders,” a researcher predicted. (iStock)
Added Hansson, “Further, we propose that the blood test should be used as an adjunct to, and not replacement for, the clinical assessments used today.”
Approximately one in five women and one in 10 men develop dementia due to Alzheimer’s disease, according to the Alzheimer’s Association.
For more Health articles, visit www.foxnews/health
The condition is misdiagnosed in 25% to 35% of patients who are treated at specialized clinics, previous studies have shown — and researchers believe that number is even higher for patients assessed by their primary care physicians.
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