Middle age weight loss precursor to dementia

LOSING weight as you get older could be an early warning sign that you are developing dementia.

Those who slim unintentionally between their 40s and 70s may be at greater risk of problems with their memory and thought processes in later life, researchers said.

They suspect that dwindling appetite and weight loss in middle age, known as “anorexia of ageing”, may be a precursor to dementia for some.

In a study of almost 2 000 people, US scientists found that a weight loss of 5kg a decade corresponded to a 24 percent increased risk of mild cognitive impairment, a condition that often leads to Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia.

Although they could not pinpoint the cause, they suspect that depression and apathy – which are known to be early symptoms of dementia – may cause people to lose weight years before they start displaying memory problems.

The team from the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota assessed 1 895 people aged at least 70 who had no signs of dementia.

They then checked them again four years later, by which time 524 had developed mild cognitive impairment.

Looking at records of the participants’ height and weight between the ages of 40 and 65, they found that those with the condition had lost more weight each decade – an average of 1.99kg – compared with just 1.17kg among the rest of the group.

Dr Laura Phipps, of Alzheimer’s Research UK, said: “Weight loss may be the result of early damage in the brain from diseases like Alzheimer’s and could indicate an underlying problem, but the study doesn’t tell us that losing weight causes dementia, or that putting on weight will prevent the condition.” – Daily Mail