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Muscle Loss Linked to Higher Dementia Risk
Confirmed
In Short: New research suggests that muscle loss in middle age is associated with a higher risk of developing dementia.
According to a study published in the International Journal of Food Sciences and Nutrition, muscle loss and reduced muscle strength in middle age are linked to a higher risk of developing dementia.
The research, led by Curtin University, analyzed more than 80 long-term studies and found that people with sarcopenia, a condition characterized by low muscle mass, reduced strength, or poor physical function, had a 42 percent higher risk of developing dementia.
Dr. Booranasuksakul, a researcher involved in the study, emphasized the importance of maintaining muscle strength and function as we age.
The study also revealed that obesity before the age of 65 was associated with a nine percent higher risk of dementia, while obesity in later life showed the opposite pattern, with a 17 percent lower risk.
Tests of strength and physical function showed clearer links with dementia than muscle measurements alone.
The study also highlighted that muscle health showed a more consistent relationship with dementia risk than obesity did.
The research challenges the idea that dementia risk can be understood simply by looking at a person’s weight.
The study, titled 'Sarcopenia, Obesity, Sarcopenic Obesity and Dementia Risk: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Cohort Studies,' underscores the importance of maintaining a healthy body composition throughout life.
What this adds
The study adds to the understanding that muscle loss and reduced muscle strength in middle age are significant risk factors for dementia, highlighting the need for early detection and intervention.
The research also suggests that muscle health may play a more critical role in dementia risk than previously thought, challenging the traditional focus on body weight and obesity.
Background
Scholar Rock's Isembyld, the first drug to target spinal muscle atrophy muscle loss, has received FDA approval, raising hopes for improved mobility in patients.
What's confirmed
- “It’s not just about how much you weigh – maintaining muscle strength and function also appears to be important as we age,” Dr. Booranasuksakul said.
- “Maintaining muscle is an important part of healthy aging, and regular physical activity and good nutrition can help support muscle strength and function,” Dr. Booranasuksakul said.
- “We found that obesity in middle age was linked to a higher risk of dementia, but this relationship changed in later life,” Professor Siervo said.
- “There is still a lot we don’t know about how changes in muscle and body fat interact over time,” Professor Siervo said.
- People with sarcopenia, a condition marked by low muscle mass, reduced strength, or poor physical function, had a 42 percent higher risk of developing dementia.
What's still developing
- Dementia is often treated as a problem that begins and ends in the brain.
- One possible reason is that dementia can begin developing long before diagnosis.
- “Dementia is a $2.8 trillion global challenge and the findings from the World Health Organization and the Lancet Commission on the 14 lifestyle risk factors are powerful reminders of the importance of early detection and good eating, exercise, weight, hearing, vision and brain training,” Professor Harding said.
- That matters because dementia can develop slowly, and changes in weight or muscle may begin before a diagnosis is made.
- It can involve weaker grip, slower walking, poorer balance, or lower muscle mass.
- Many of those studies measured handgrip strength or physical performance rather than looking only at muscle size.
- Only four studies met the criteria for this part of the analysis, and no statistically significant association with dementia was identified.
- Professor Siervo said further long-term research was needed to understand how changes in muscle and body fat interacted over time.
- “The Curtin findings around muscle mass and strength also reinforce the importance of exercise and underline the importance of good mobility and stability to reduce falls as people age,” Professor Harding said.
- They were particularly interested in whether muscle and fat were linked to dementia in different ways, since BMI only tells you how much you weigh for your height.
- It can't tell whether that weight comes from muscle or body fat.
- The analysis found no significant overall association between sarcopenic obesity and dementia, although that result is based on only four studies.