According to research results, weight gain from childhood to middle age can accelerate the rhythm of cognitive decline
Although the relationship between obesity In middle age and cognitive damage is already known, there are still few tests on how the variation of permanent weight affects the functioning of the brain. Now, a Brazilian study stresses that we will continue continuously since then childhood can accelerate the aging of the brain in a maximum of 6.5 years.
Posted in April in the scientific diary NeurologyWork is the result of the doctoral thesis of the geriatrician Paulo Henrique Lazzaris Coelho, developed in the geriatric discipline of the Faculty of Medicine of the University of San Paolo (USP) and at the Clinical and Epidemiological Research Center of the USP University Hospital.
The conclusion was based on the analysis of the data of 11,361 participants in the Brazilian longitudinal study on adult health (Elsa-Brazil), one of the greatest health studies of the country’s adult population. Since 2008, the survey has been with six Brazilian capital, aged 35 and 74 years of age.
Since the real weight measures were not possible from childhood, the researchers were based on silhouette of the car body -segnate by the same participants, in five moments of life: at 5, 10, 20, 30 and 40 years. Each participant selected the figure who resembled his body in each age group, which allowed to estimate weight variations and classify the profiles below weight, normal weight, overweight and obesity.
From these data, the authors have established four predominant trajectory standards: “normal stable weight”, “normal for overweight”, “underweight to normal” and “stable overweight”.
Cognitive analysis
The cognitive function of the participants was evaluated through three standardized tests, applied in three different moments in eight years. “Most of the studies examine the individual once, taking a photograph of the cognitive performance of that moment. In our study, while we evaluated three moments, we managed to create a film about the knowledge of that person,” says Coelho at the Einstein agency.
One of the methods applied was the memory test, in which the volunteers had to memorize and therefore remember simple words after short and medium time intervals. “This is a standardized test to evaluate cognition in the disease of Alzheimer’s. With him we measure the individual’s ability to remember the words that evaluate both immediate memory, immediately after seeing the list and late memory, “he explains.
The second test is semantic verbal fluidity and aims to evaluate language. In such cases, the participants had to speak in a minute the largest amount of words in the categories of animals and plants. The researchers also evaluated the phonemic verbal fluidity, in which the volunteers had to pronounce all the words to start with letters A and F. “With these tests we calculated the total quantity of words they produced and, with this, it was possible to carry out an evaluation of the global language”, explains the researcher.
Finally, the researchers evaluated the executive function, or the ability to plan, organize and perform tasks. It was measured through a trail test, in which the participants had to connect letters and numbers in alternating sequence, and the execution time was the main indicative of the performance. “The more time it takes, the better,” says Coelho.
Accelerated cognitive decline
During the three phases of cognitive evaluation, the researchers observed that the groups that had an increase in permanent weight – in particular those who went from normal weight to overweight, those who went from underweight to a normal weight and those who maintained overweight – have undergone a faster cognitive drop than the participants who have maintained their normal weight.
In practical terms, these trajectories represented an ancient brain aging of 4.6, 4.9 and 6.5 years in the three scenarios, respectively, with more pronounced losses in memory and executive function.
According to Coelho, the explanations for these results involve multiple factors. The weight gain of life can increase the risk of cardiovascular diseases, which in turn have a direct impact on the brain. In addition, the conditions associated with obesity such as chronic inflammation, hormonal changes and the accumulation of proteins such as beta-amyloid (Alzheimer’s marker) can contribute to cognitive decline.
Social inequality
In research, these effects have been observed with greater intensity between women And black or brown individuals, while there were no relevant associations between white men. The disparities between demographic groups indicate that there are other influences at stake.
In the case of women, for example, physiological differences in the development of cardiovascular diseases and in subtracting risk factors such as hypertension AND diabetes They can play an important role.
Between blacks and brown, the interaction between biological and social issues – such as the quality of education, limited access to health services and structural discrimination – can explain part of the observed inequalities. Black or brown women often face socio -economic barriers that make it difficult to access food balanced, to the regular practice of exercise and quality medical care. This context can encourage weight gain and aggravate cognitive risks.
In addition, the stress Chronic caused by situations of racism and social inequality is also associated with losses in mental and cerebral health. “This can contribute to the increase in weight and, consequently, to a greater risk of cognitive impairment. Limited access to health services can lead to late diagnosis and lack of preventive interventions”, analyzes the neurologist Marco Túlio Pedatella of the Israeli hospital Albert Einstein in Goiania.
The good news is that the study also strengthens the role of prevention. Coelho underlines that weight control plays an important role in protection from cognitive decline, since weight or overweight trajectories have a faster drop than eight years of follow -up than those who have maintained a normal weight. According to him, after 35 it is natural that cognitive performance began to decrease, but this process accelerates especially when there are diseases that directly affect the brain, such as cardiovascular and dementia.
Forms of prevention
Given these results, researchers support the adoption of public policies aimed at controlling weight since childhood as a strategy to promote a aging Healthier, especially among vulnerable populations. In clinical practice, the results can also change the way professionals follow patients with a story of obesity, incorporating the evaluation of cognitive health as an essential part of the treatment.
For Pedratella, cognitive decline prevention should be seen as a multifactorial effort. This includes monitoring of the weight of youth, the adoption of a balanced diet, regular physical activity (which, in addition to controlling weight, improves brain blood flow and promotes neuroplasticity), as well as stimulating intellectual activity, sleep Quality, control of chronic diseases such as diabetes and hypertension and strengthening of social ties, which also have a protective effect on the mind.
“Studies like this, with specific data of the Brazilian population, are essential to adapt the health guidelines to our context. They allow us to identify more vulnerable groups and develop more effective early intervention strategies”, concludes Einstein’s neurologist.
Source: Terra
Ben Stock is a lifestyle journalist and author at Gossipify. He writes about topics such as health, wellness, travel, food and home decor. He provides practical advice and inspiration to improve well-being, keeps readers up to date with latest lifestyle news and trends, known for his engaging writing style, in-depth analysis and unique perspectives.
