<p>Associations between obesity and cognitive impairment in the Chinese elderly: an observational study</p>

Abstract

Purpose The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between obesity and cognitive impairment in the Chinese elderly. Patients and methods Patients aged 60 years or above were enrolled from the Department of Geriatrics of The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University from March 2013 to May 2017. Mini-Mental State Examination scale was used to assess the cognitive function. Body mass index (BMI) and waist–hip ratio were used to classify obesity. Student’s t -test, Mann–Whitney U -test, or chi-squared test was used to compare the data between participants with normal cognition and participants with cognitive impairment as appropriate. Univariate logistic regression models and multivariate logistic regression models were performed to explore the relationship between BMI or abdominal obesity and cognitive impairment. Results A total of 1,100 patients including 568 men and 532 women aged 60–98 years (median age 79 years) were enrolled. After adjusting for age, gender, smoking, drinking, education level, hypercholesterolemia, hypertension, and diabetes, overweight was significantly associated with a decreased risk of cognitive impairment (OR=0.458, 95% CI=0.298–0.703, P <0.001). After adjustment for age, education level, hypercholesterolemia, hypertension, and diabetes, abdominal obesity remained significantly associated with an increased risk of cognitive impairment (OR=1.532, 95% CI=1.037–2.263, P =0.032). Conclusion Overweight is associated with a decreased risk of cognitive impairment in the Chinese elderly, while abdominal obesity is associated with an increased risk of cognitive impairment independent of conventional sociodemographic, lifestyle, and health-related comorbid factors.

A cross-sectional study on prevalence of cognitive impairment and its associated factors among the elderly in an urban area of Chennai, India

“…We also did not observe a statistically significant association between obesity and cognitive impairment while Hou et al study had reported that overweight was associated with a decreased risk of cognitive impairment in the elderly, while abdominal obesity was associated with an increased risk of cognitive impairment. 34 Xue et al had reported that diabetes conferred a 1.25-to 1.91-fold excess risk for cognitive disorders. Compared with non-diabetes, diabetes was associated with 49% increased risk of MCI (RR=1.49, 95% CI=1.26-1.77).…”

Physical multimorbidity and subjective cognitive complaints among adults in the United Kingdom: a cross-sectional community-based study

“…Furthermore, to the best of our knowledge, there are no studies that aimed to identify potential influential factors in the association between multimorbidity and SCC. Several variables such as obesity 19,20 , smoking 21,22 , alcohol use 23,24 , stress and stressful life events 25–27 , depression 28,29 , anxiety 13,30 or sleep problems 31,32 are known to be associated with both multimorbidity and cognitive impairment, and might a play major role in this relationship.…”

Aging, Gut Microbiota and Metabolic Diseases: Management through Physical Exercise and Nutritional Interventions

“…Furthermore, obesity in the elderly could exert even more negative effects, for example being a threat to cognitive functionality. In a study on 1100 Chinese subjects aged 60 or above, abdominal obesity was associated to a higher risk of cognitive impairment independently of other environmental factors or metabolic conditions [ 22 ].…”