Recently, a new study looked at the relationship between weight throughout the course of someone’s life and dementia. People that suffer from obesity during middle life are more likely to have dementia as they age than people that maintain a healthy weight throughout their life.
More specifically, those that gained weight leading into middle life and then saw a steady loss of weight, as measured by body mass index (BMI), were at a higher risk of dementia. It wasn’t immediately clear if it was a high BMI or a fluctuation in BMI that was correlated to higher risk of dementia.
There are about 50 million people in the world currently suffering from dementia. That number is expected to triple over the next thirty years. Finding ways to more effectively treat those suffering from dementia is a necessary step if we’re going to give those that we care about a better future as they age.
The research team did point out that even though this correlation was noticed, the relationship between body mass index and the development of dementia is still not fully understood. There’s a lot more research here needed to get to that point. This is another step in that direction.
This study was conducted by Boston University’s School of Medicine. They published their findings in the medical journal, Alzheimer’s & Dementia. There’s no cure for Alzheimer’s disease, but advances like this allow us to understand more about the disease, and better ways to treat and prevent it. Hopefully, there will be more advances to come that might eventually lead to a cure.
Weight is an important component of overall health, not just for gauging someone’s risk of dementia. Being overweight can lead to a whole host of health issues, such as high blood pressure, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. All of these health issues can be compounded and create severe health concerns when comorbidities are present. Even if dementia is never a concern, paying attention to your weight is important for this reason alone.
Having the right support team on your side can be helpful and alleviate some of the complications that come along with this. The right medical professionals on your side can be a great start, but that’s not always enough. Senior care is often the missing piece of the puzzle.
We would be thrilled to be a part of your team. Memory care is a vastly important part of the larger senior care industry. Those who suffer from dementia often have a unique set of needs that require special attention. For someone with dementia to get the most out of care, the caregiver needs to have the right training to provide that memory care. That’s why we provide our caregivers with that training–and more. Elderly folk deserve the best care that they can get and we go out of our way to ensure that that care is always provided to the people we serve.
If you’d like to learn more about how senior care can help a loved one suffering from Alzheimer’s, another type of dementia, or any other condition, we’re happy to talk more. Give us a call today to schedule a free consultation. One of our professionals would be happy to talk more with you and help you get pointed in the right direction.
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