Obesity is associated with a higher risk of dementia up to 15 years later, finds a new UCL study suggesting that weight management could play a significant role in reducing risk.
The findings, published in the International Journal of Epidemiology, suggest that people who are obese in late adulthood face a 31% increased risk of dementia than those whose body mass index (BMI) is within the ‘normal’ range. The risk may be particularly high for women.
Dr Dorina Cadar (UCL Institute of Epidemiology & Health Care), the senior author, said: “These findings provide new evidence that obesity may have important implications in terms of dementia risk.
