'Beer bellies' could raise risk of dementia and Parkinson's, study finds

Those with high levels of body fat in their arms and stomachs could have a higher risk of developing dementia and Parkinson’s disease, a new study has found.

Researchers determined that anyone with high levels of body fat stored in these areas may be more likely to develop neurodegenerative diseases than people with less fat.

The large-scale study looked at 412,691 Brits with an average age of 56 across nine years.

It found that those with higher levels of arm fat were 18% more likely to develop the diseases than those with low levels of arm fat, and those with ‘beer bellies' were 13% more likely to develop the diseases.

Measurements were taken at the start of the study for body composition, including waist and hip measurements, grip strength, bone density and fat and lean mass.

During the study, 8,224 people developed neurodegenerative diseases – mainly Alzheimer’s disease, other forms of dementia, and Parkinson’s.

On the contrary, those with a high level of muscle strength were 26% less likely to develop dementia or Parkinson’s than those with low muscle strength, the study published in the journal Neurology, said.

"These neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s affect over 60 million people worldwide, and that number is expected to grow as the population ages, so it’s crucial that we identify ways to modify risk factors to develop some preventive tools,”study author Professor Huan Song of Sichuan University, said.

“This study highlights the potential to lessen people’s risk of developing these diseases by improving their body composition. Targeted interventions to reduce trunk and arm fat while promoting healthy muscle development may be more effective for protection against these diseases than general weight control.”

Song added that the relationship between body compositions and the neurodegenerative diseases was partly explained by the occurrence after the start of the study of cardiovascular diseases such as heart disease and stroke.

She explained. “This underscores the importance of managing these cardiovascular diseases right away to help prevent or delay the development of Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, or other degenerative diseases."

It comes after a separate study determined that people whose mothers have or had Alzheimer’s were more likely to get dementia themselves.

British researchers discovered that the levels in amyloid, a protein linked to Alzheimer’s disease, was higher in those whose mother had Alzheimer’s, or even just symptoms of Alzheimer’s.

Additional reporting by SWNS.