Researchers found the amount of fat in the body's muscle, or muscle adiposity, may predict a person's risk of cognitive decline as they age. A 5-year increase in fat stored in the thigh muscle was found to be a risk factor for cognitive decline in a study published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society. This risk was unrelated to the total weight, other fat deposits, muscle characteristics (such as muscle strength or mass), and traditional dementia risk factors.
The study was published in 'The Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.'
The researchers measured muscle fat in 1,634 adults aged 69 to 79 at years 1 and 6 and cognitive function at years 1, 3, 5, 8, and 10. Increases in muscle adiposity from year one to year six were associated with a faster and more rapid decline in cognitive function over time. The results were comparable for black and white men and women.
"Our data suggest that muscle adiposity plays a unique role in cognitive decline, distinct from that of other types of fat or other muscle characteristics," said corresponding author Caterina Rosano, MD, MPH, of the University of Pittsburgh's School of Public Health. "If that is the case, then the next step is to understand how muscle fat and the brain 'talk' to each other, and whether reducing muscle adiposity can also reduce dementia risk."
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