Deep belly fat was also found to be related to brain atrophy in the hippocampus.
Higher levels of visceral belly fat in midlife may be linked to the development of Alzheimer's disease.
Individuals with a greater amount of hidden belly fat had a higher amount of an abnormal protein called amyloid in a part of the brain that is one of the earliest places where Alzheimer's occurs.
Individuals with higher amounts of visceral fat were found to have more inflammation in widespread white matter tracks in the brain.
The relationship between belly fat and Alzheimer's was found to be more pronounced in men than in women.
This hidden abdominal fat could lead to alterations in the brain up to 15 years before the first signs of Alzheimer's disease appear.
Recent research suggests a potential link between higher levels of visceral belly fat in midlife and the development of Alzheimer's disease. The study, presented at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA), indicates that this hidden abdominal fat could lead to alterations in the brain up to 15 years before the first signs of Alzheimer's disease appear.
The research involved individuals in their 40s and 50s and found that those with a greater amount of hidden belly fat had a higher amount of an abnormal protein called amyloid in a part of the brain that is one of the earliest places where Alzheimer's occurs. This relationship was found to be more pronounced in men than in women.
In addition to this, the study also discovered a relationship between deep belly fat and brain atrophy, specifically in a part of the brain's memory center called the hippocampus. Individuals with higher amounts of visceral fat were found to have more inflammation in widespread white matter tracks in the brain.
The study was published as a pilot study in the journal of Aging and Disease in August. While these findings provide new insights into the potential risk factors for Alzheimer's disease, further research is needed to fully understand the implications of these results.
The study also found a relationship between deep belly fat and brain atrophy, or a wasting away of gray matter, in a part of the brain's memory center called the hippocampus.
The researchers also found that individuals with higher amounts of visceral fat tend to have more inflammation in widespread white matter tracks in the brain.
The study was published as a pilot study in the journal of Aging and Disease in August.