Recent research has shown that waist circumference is a more accurate indicator of the harmful effects of excess fat than body mass index. The fat around abdominal organs, known as visceral fat, is especially detrimental to health as it promotes chronic inflammation and the accumulation of senescent cells. This suggests that measuring fat in the abdomen may be a better predictor of age-related diseases and mortality than a more general measurement of body fat.
Studies have found that while obesity in midlife increases the risk of dementia, a higher body mass index (BMI) in later life actually has a protective effect. This may be due to weight loss in the years leading up to the onset of dementia, or the fact that BMI does not fully reflect nutritional status in older adults. Additionally, recent research has linked higher waist circumference and waist-hip ratio to an increased risk of dementia and changes in brain structure, such as hippocampal atrophy. This suggests that abdominal adiposity may have a negative impact on brain health in later life.
A study conducted with older adults found that higher levels of abdominal adiposity were associated with a greater decline in cognitive function over a 10-year period. In men, higher waist circumference and fat area were linked to a larger decline in cognitive function, while in women, higher waist circumference and subcutaneous fat area were associated with greater cognitive decline.
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