Sarcopenic Obesity is Linked to Dementia

Dementia, a serious medical disorder, affects more than 15% of Japanese persons over 65. It is commonly recognised that dementia significantly lowers the quality of life for elderly people by impairing their cognitive, social, and memory functions.On the other hand, lifestyle diseases like obesity are becoming more and more common. It frequently coexists with low muscle mass, a condition known as Sarcopenic Obesity that is evaluated by handgrip strength and body mass index (BMI). Unexpectedly, it is recognised that this illness raises the likelihood of cognitive deficits.

This issue was addressed by scientists from Juntendo University in Japan working under the supervision of Dr. Yoshifumi Tamura in a current research that was released in Clinical Nutrition. “If the relationship between Sarcopenic Obesity and dementia is confirmed, proper preventative measures may be adopted to limit the prevalence of this disease and the risk of dementia in senior people,” says Dr. Tamura, underscoring the relevance of their research.

1615 older Japanese participants in the Bunkyo Health Study, aged 65 to 84, were included in the study. The participants were divided into four groups by the participants’ sarcopenia and obesity status: those with obesity, those with sarcopenia, those with Sarcopenic Obesity, and those without obesity or sarcopenia (control). The link between sarcopenia, obesity, and a number of brain processes was then investigated.

Sarcopenia or inadequate muscular strength was indicated by a handgrip strength of less than 28 kg for males and 18 kg for females, whereas obese people had a BMI of more than 25 kg/m2. Two evaluation methods were employed to identify whether dementia and moderate cognitive impairment (MCI) occurred. A score of less than 22 on the Montreal Cognitive Assessment and less than 23 on the Mine-Mental State Examination, respectively, were used to identify MCI and dementia.