Study reveals muscle fat content predict risk of cognitive decline

Washington [US], June 10 : The amount of fat in the body's muscle, or muscular adiposity, was discovered by researchers to predict a person's risk of cognitive decline as they age. In a research published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, a 5-year rise in fat accumulated in the thigh muscle was revealed to be a risk factor for cognitive impairment. This risk was not associated with total body weight, additional fat deposits, muscle characteristics (such as muscle strength or mass), or established dementia risk factors.

The study was published in 'Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.'

The researchers measured muscle fat in 1,634 adults aged 69 to 79 at years 1 and 6 and cognitive function at years 1, 3, 5, 8, and 10. Increases in muscle adiposity from year one to year six were associated with a faster and more rapid decline in cognitive function over time. The results were comparable for black and white men and women.

"Our data suggest that muscle adiposity plays a unique role in cognitive decline, distinct from that of other types of fat or other muscle characteristics," said corresponding author Caterina Rosano, MD, MPH, of the University of Pittsburgh's School of Public Health. "If that is the case, then the next step is to understand how muscle fat and the brain 'talk' to each other, and whether reducing muscle adiposity can also reduce dementia risk."