Metabolism linked to brain health

A study from the University of South Australia’s Australian Centre for Precision Health has found a link between metabolism and dementia-related brain measures.

Researchers analysed data from 26,239 people in the UK Biobank and found that those with obesity related to liver stress, or to inflammation and kidney stress, had the most adverse brain findings.

The study measured associations of six diverse metabolic profiles and 39 cardiometabolic markers, including MRI brain scan measures of brain volume, brain lesions and iron accumulation, to identify early risk factors for dementia.

People with metabolic profiles linked to obesity were more likely to have adverse MRI profiles showing lower hippocampal and grey matter volumes, greater burden of brain lesions and higher accumulation of iron.

UniSA researcher Dr Amanda Lumsden said the research adds a new layer of understanding to brain health.

“Dementia is a debilitating disease that affects more than 55 million people worldwide,” Lumsden said. Every three seconds, someone in the world is diagnosed.

“Understanding metabolic factors and profiles associated with dementia-related brain changes can help identify early risk factors for dementia.

“In this research, we found that adverse neuroimaging patterns were more prevalent among people who had metabolic types related to obesity.

“These people also had the highest basal metabolic rate (BMR) — how much energy your body requires when resting in order to support its basic functions — but curiously, BMR seemed to contribute to adverse brain markers over and above the effects of obesity.”

Image credit: iStockphoto.com/Hank Grebe