Men With This Common Health Issue at Risk for Early Cognitive Decline, Study Finds

For years the cause of dementia and Alzheimer's was somewhat of a mystery to both doctors and patients alike. However, more and more research has come out in recent years about the preventive measures individuals can take to reduce their risk of cognitive decline as they age. And according to a recent study, men with cardiovascular disease risk factors such as high blood pressure, obesity, and diabetes, may face earlier brain health decline than their female counterparts. 

In the study published in the Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery & Psychiatry, researchers analyzed data from 34,425 participants between the ages of 45 and 83 in the UK Biobank who had undergone both abdominal and brain scans to determine the optimal age and time to prevent the possibility of neurodegeneration.

They then used the Framingham Risk Score—a system that uses variables such as age, gender, (HDL), blood pressure, and more—in addition to a neuroimaging technique to determine brain structure and volume. After this, they took a look at cardiovascular risk, abdominal fat, and visceral adipose tissue (fat surrounding internal organs). 

The investigation revealed that greater levels of abdominal and visceral fat were linked to reduced grey matter volume in the brain for both genders. Grey matter volume is a tissue in the brain and spinal cord that's responsible for many of our necessary mental functions, such as our memory, emotions, decision-making, and beyond. 

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Not only were the levels of grey matter diminished, but the decline started a decade earlier in men who had higher risks of cardiovascular disease than in women. Plus, the risks even persisted for nearly two decades after.

“[The study] found that men’s brains start showing signs of damage from things like high blood pressure, obesity, and diabetes earlier than women’s—about 10 years sooner," Jonathan Rasouli, MD, of the Department of Neurological Surgery at Northwell Staten Island University Hospital told Medical News Today. "This means that men in their 40s and 50s need to pay closer attention to their health to prevent problems like memory loss or Alzheimer’s later in life.”

Whether you have a family history of dementia or Alzehmiers or just want to reduce your risks, targeting risk factors such as obesity before your 50s may play a vital role in preventing your likelihood of cognitive decline. 

“What makes this study stand out is how it looks at a huge group of people and uses advanced brain imaging to show these patterns clearly," Rasouli says. "It reminds us that simple things like managing weight, blood pressure, and other health factors can make a big difference for the brain.”