Dementia risk linked to obesity and bowel disease

PEOPLE IN their 50s who are obese and those who suffer from inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) are at increased risk of developing dementia, two separate studies suggest.

Women who have abdominal obesity were found to be particularly high risk in the University College London (UCL) study, which showed obese people in their 50s had a 31 per cent higher risk of dementia later in life compared with those of the same age with normal weight. The researchers said the findings suggest keeping body mass index under control could play a “significant role” in reducing the risk of dementia.

Professor Andrew Steptoe, of the UCL Institute of Epidemiology and Health Care, said: “Dementia is one of the major health challenges of the 21st century that could threaten successful ageing of the population. Our findings suggest that rising obesity rates will compound the issue.

“By identifying factors that may raise dementia risk that are influenced by lifestyle factors, we hope that a substantial portion, but admittedly not all, of dementia cases can be prevented through public health interventions.”

Separately, Taiwanese researchers found those with IBD – including ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease – had double the risk of developing dementia than the general population, and were likely to be diagnosed with the condition earlier in their lives.

The authors said there was increasing evidence supporting “reciprocal communication” between the gut and central nervous system in disease.