Obesity related to enlarged dementia risk

A new study has said that obesity may increase the risk of dementia in adults.

Researchers at the John Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health have followed up studies over two decades to show a consistent relationship between the two diseases.

Using a review of ten previous studies, the team found that obesity increased the risk of developing Alzheimer's by an average of 80 per cent.

The results, published by the International Association for the Study of Obesity, further concluded that being underweight could also increase the risk of dementia.

Youfa Wang, senior author of the study and professor at the school, said that the results show a "clear association" between obesity and the increases risk for dementia.

"Preventing or treating obesity at a younger age could play a major role in reducing the number of dementia patients and those with other commonly associated illnesses such as Alzheimer's disease by up to 20 percent in the United States," he said.

A previous study by researchers at Duke University claims that on in seven adults aged 71 and older have dementia. This equates to an estimated 3.4 million people, with Alzheimer's being the most common form of the disease, reports CBS News.

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