Higher levels of belly fat could increase your Alzheimer’s risk, study finds

Higher levels of belly fat may trigger the process of developing Alzheimer’s disease up to 20 years before any symptoms appear, a new study suggests.

obesity is a risk factor for dementia

By conducting body scans on 80 individuals with an average age of 49, researchers identified amyloid plaques and tau tangles – proteins that, in high amounts, inhibit communication between brain cells and are associated with the degenerative disease – in those with visceral fat. This type of fat wraps around the heart and abdominal organs.

Amyloid typically appears first. As the disease progresses, tau tangles follow.