How do your age and diet influence your thinking?
At a certain point, older folks occasionally develop a penchant for making verbal slurs, mental stumbles, rambling speeches, and confusing responses. They often claim that they have no memory of making those misstatements; they might not be lying. They may be experiencing the most common consequences of advanced age coupled with chronic obesity due to a poor diet.
Mind-wandering, confusion, and a reduced ability to organize and focus thoughts are classic early symptoms of dementia. Today, an overwhelming body of scientific evidence across a wide spectrum of medical disciplines strongly argues that obesity, particularly long-standing obesity in the elderly, impairs cognitive function and accelerates aging of the brain. One recent epidemiological study concluded that by the year 2050, the number of overweight or obese Americans will increase to above 50 percent. Even during the recent pandemic, obesity-related diseases, such as cancer and cardiovascular failure, were still the greatest causes of death in the U.S.
Recent studies have further defined the mechanisms by which excess body fat impairs cognitive function in the elderly. First, having too many fat cells leads to a condition of chronic, low-grade, body-wide inflammation. The presence of inflammation in the brain underlies both normal brain aging and dementia. Many laboratories around the world, including my own, have documented the mechanisms that underlie how excessive body fat impairs the function of the aging brain.
Body fat actively impairs brain function in another recently discovered way; due to elevated levels of the fat-derived protein called leptin. Leptin is a hormone that is primarily involved in glucose, fat, and energy metabolism, as well as in inducing inflammation and atherosclerosis. Leptin can cross the blood-brain barrier and may impair brain function. A recent study of 669 people over the age of 65 years reported that higher blood levels of leptin was significantly associated with greater odds of having cognitive impairment.
The study focused on this age group because over two-thirds of individuals aged 65 and older are obese or overweight in the United States. Another recent study outlined the association between the degree of adiposity, or fat deposit, and cognitive dysfunction in the elderly. The authors concluded that pathological changes in the small blood vessels in the brain, including impaired endothelial function, impaired coupling between neurons and blood vessels and a disrupted blood-brain barrier, contributed to the development of cognitive decline with aging.
A diagnosis of chronic venous insufficiency is primarily known for its physical symptoms, such as leg swelling and varicose veins. This is another common issue for people with obesity. Emerging research indicates that cognitive impairment may occur in patients with chronic venous insufficiency, particularly due to cerebral venous congestion, affecting executive function, processing speed, and attention. The negative interaction of these biological consequences of obesity and aging cannot be ignored if we hope to improve the health of the nation and improve the quality of life as we all get older. If you are older and overweight, please consider contacting your local Agency on Aging or access the internet for free nutrition and weight loss counseling. It’s never too late to positively impact brain aging by losing weight.