Obesity can affect brain volume

With the increase in weight comes a long list of problemsów. Scientists from the UK added another. According to them, people with extra pounds, especially those located at the waist, have a smaller volume of mózgu – in particularóThe liveness of the gray matter – in cfównaniu to osób of normal weight. The gray matter is primarily responsible for self-control, muscle control and perception.

– Our study included a large group of people. We found that obesity, especially that around the waist, can be associated with shrinking mózgu – mówi prof. Mark Hammer of the department of physical education and sports at Loughborough University.

The findings were published in the journal „Neurology”.

In the study, the researchers analyzed information from more than 9,600 waspsób, with an average age of 55 years. Scientists determined their wspóBMI (body mass index) and they checked their ogólny level of body fat. Participants were also examined for WHR (waist-to-hip circumference ratio). All of them were performed róalso an MRI mózgu. 19 percent. All subjects were classified as obese people.

After excluding other factorsów causing a reduction in the volume of the mózgu, such as age, physical activity, high blood pressure and smoking, the researchers noted that while high wspóhe BMI ratio was associated with a slightly lower volume of mózgu, it was in osób with high BMI and WHR, the effect was greater.

The study indicated that these individuals have a few centimeteróin cubic smaller mózgi w porównaniu to waspsób of normal body weight. Scientists suspect that extra weight around the waist may lead to the production of inflammatory substances thatóre affect the shrinking of the mózgu.

1291 osób, które had a high BMI and high WHR, it had the lowest mean m volume in the studyózgu, in particularólity of the gray matter, whichóra was 786 centimeteróin cubic. In cfównania 3025 waspsób of normal weight had this index at 798 centimetersóin cubic meters, and 514 osób with a high BMI, but without a high WHR of 793 centimeteróin cubic.

No significant rótic differences in the volume of white matter.

Lower mózg can lead to memory impairment and dementia. However, the research must still continue, as it is unclear whether abnormalities in the structure of the mózgu lead to obesity, or obesity leads to changes in mózgu.

– We discovered links between obesity and shrinkage of specific regions of theóin mózgu. It will require further research, but it may be that in the future, regular measurement of BMI and waist-to-hip ratio could helpóc in determining the health of mózgu – noted Hammer.