[sirI]

September 21, 2007 — Despite the association between obesity and increased risks for hypertension, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease, a new study shows that higher body-mass index (BMI) in old age was not predictive of cognitive decline in a cognitively unimpaired community sample.

The results showed no significant changes in memory or cognitive function over 6 years of follow-up for overweight or obese subjects; rather, those with lower BMIs had more cognitive decline over the same period. "We do not know yet why being overweight or obese does not increase the risk for cognitive decline in old age; however, being underweight may be a correlate of the initial stages of Alzheimer's disease," said study author Maureen T. Sturman, MD, from Rush University Medical Center and John H. Stroger Hospital of Cook County in Chicago, Illinois, in a statement from the American Academy of Neurology.

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http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/...3829&src=nldne

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[anonymurse]

Originally Posted by sirI

Read article in its entirety.

http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/...3829&src=nldne

You may need to register with Medscape to view article - free registration.

This calls for a snack! Seriously, the presumption displayed in "We do not know yet why being overweight or obese does not increase the risk for cognitive decline in old age," as if it should be naturally expected, and is so surprising as to be worthy of special attention, is nearly unbelievable. Our research dollars at work...

[CHATSDALE]

wonderful news...

signed - old and chubby

[VivaLasViejas]

Oh, cool---a good reason to keep enjoying the pumpkin cheesecake!