Abstract
Introduction: We determined associations of total and regional adiposity with incident dementia among older adults. Methods: Within the population-based Rotterdam Study, adiposity was measured as total, android, and gynoid fat mass using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry in 3408 men and 4563 women, every 3 to 6 years between 2002 and 2016. Incident dementia was recorded until 2020. Results: Higher adiposity measures were associated with a decreased risk of dementia in both sexes. After excluding the first 5 years of follow-up, only the association of gynoid fat among women remained significant (hazard ratio 0.85 [95% confidence interval 0.75–0.97] per standard deviation increase). No major differences in trajectories of adiposity measures were observed between dementia cases and dementia-free controls. Discussion: Higher total and regional fat mass related to a decreased risk of dementia. These results may be explained by reverse causality, although a protective effect of adiposity cannot be excluded. Highlights: Total and regional adiposity were assessed using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry scans in 7971 older adults. All adiposity measures were associated with a decreased risk of dementia. The results suggest a beneficial effect of gynoid fat on the risk of dementia in women. Reverse causation and competing risk may explain these inverse associations.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 2047-2055 |
| Number of pages | 9 |
| Journal | Alzheimer's and Dementia |
| Volume | 19 |
| Issue number | 5 |
| Early online date | 29 Nov 2022 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - May 2023 |
Bibliographical note
Funding Information:The authors gratefully acknowledge the study participants of the Ommoord district and their general practitioners and pharmacists for their devotion in contributing to the Rotterdam Study. We also thank all staff who facilitated assessment of participants in the Rotterdam Study throughout the years. The Rotterdam Study is supported by Erasmus Medical Centre and Erasmus University, Rotterdam, Netherlands Organization for the Health Research and Development (ZonMw), the Research Institute for Diseases in the Elderly (RIDE), the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science, the Ministry for Health, Welfare and Sports, the European Commission (DG XII), and the Municipality of Rotterdam. This study was partially performed as part of the Netherlands Consortium of Dementia Cohorts (NCDC), which receives funding in the context of Deltaplan Dementie from ZonMW Memorabel and Alzheimer Nederland. Further funding was obtained through the Stichting Erasmus Trustfonds, grant number 97030.2021.101.430/057/RB. No funding body influenced the study design; the collection, analysis, and interpretation of data; the writing of the report; and the decision to submit the article for publication.
Funding Information:
The authors gratefully acknowledge the study participants of the Ommoord district and their general practitioners and pharmacists for their devotion in contributing to the Rotterdam Study. We also thank all staff who facilitated assessment of participants in the Rotterdam Study throughout the years. The Rotterdam Study is supported by Erasmus Medical Centre and Erasmus University, Rotterdam, Netherlands Organization for the Health Research and Development (ZonMw), the Research Institute for Diseases in the Elderly (RIDE), the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science, the Ministry for Health, Welfare and Sports, the European Commission (DG XII), and the Municipality of Rotterdam. This study was partially performed as part of the Netherlands Consortium of Dementia Cohorts (NCDC), which receives funding in the context of Deltaplan Dementie from ZonMW Memorabel and Alzheimer Nederland. Further funding was obtained through the Stichting Erasmus Trustfonds, grant number 97030.2021.101.430/057/RB. No funding body influenced the study design; the collection, analysis, and interpretation of data; the writing of the report; and the decision to submit the article for publication.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2022 The Authors. Alzheimer's & Dementia published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of Alzheimer's Association.
