Belly Fat and Dementia Risk

First, we would like to say Happy New Year to everyone, and hope that you all enjoyed the holiday season. Many people indulge themselves during the holidays and find that they have put on some extra pounds the past few weeks. If you are one of the many Americans that have made New Year's resolutions to lose weight this year, this article might prove to be another motivating factor.

The Journal of Neurology 2009 reported that a high midlife waist to hip ratio (greater than .80) more than doubled the risk of developing dementia. So what does this mean to you? A high waist to hip ratio would be caused by an increase in belly fat (measuring around waist) relative to hip circumference (measuring around the hips). So look at yourself in the mirror and ask the question, “Is my waist bigger than my hips?” If they are the same size, then this would be a waist to hip ratio of 1.0. Now you must understand that belly fat accumulation is associated with insulin resistance and hypercortisolemia.

Insulin is the hormone that facilitates glucose to get into your cells. If you have elevations in insulin due to poor lifestyle then your cells can become resistant to the effects of insulin. When they become resistant to insulin, glucose is less efficient at getting into your cells. If your fasting glucose rises to 126 then you are referred to as “diabetic”, if it reaches 115 you are referred to as “prediabetic”. Optimally your fasting glucose should not be over 100. If it is, then this is a sign of insulin resistance, and needs to be addressed.

Hypercortisolemia means high cortisol. Cortisol is a stress hormone made in your adrenal glands. Stress can come in the form of emotional stress, underlying food sensitivities, chronic gut infections, inflammatory conditions, dysglycemias (unstable blood sugar), etc. One of the most common forms of stress is from unstable blood sugar. Cortisol levels can be evaluated very simply with a four point salivary cortisol test. Not only is it important to look for quantity of cortisol, but also cortisol rhythm. Cortisol levels change throughout the day and four samples allow this “rhythm” to be evaluated. If this rhythm is lost then it is a sign of hippocampal degeneration (the area in the brain lost with dementia).

We routinely look at fasting glucose and four point cortisol testing, and it is rare that we do not find a problem here. If you would like more information about our approach to patient care please visit www.functionalneuro.com.

Yours in health, Drs. Chris & Lauren Caffery