Stability in BMI over time is associated with a better cognitive trajectory in older adults, according to a study published in Alzheimer’s & Dementia. Michal Schnaider Beeri, PhD, and colleagues used longitudinal data (average follow-up, 5 years) from 15,977 elderly adults without dementia at baseline to assess the relationship between change in BMI and cognitive trajectories. Participants with significant changes in BMI (increase or decrease of 5% or more) or who had greater variability in BMI had faster cognitive decline. This finding was seen regardless of BMI status at baseline (underweight/normal, overweight, or obese). “We found that stability in BMI over time, in contrast to increases or decreases in BMI, is associated with a slower rate of cognitive decline, both in global cognition and specific cognitive domains,” Dr. Schnaider Beeri and colleagues wrote. “Disentangling the biological pathways underlying different trajectories of BMI in old age, and their contribution to brain health and disease, is necessary to develop potential therapies.”
