People with excess fat in the abdomen and arms are more likely to develop Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s, according to a new study.
Researchers have found that those who carry weight in these areas, often called “beer bellies” and “bingo wings,” appear to be at higher risk for the diseases, while people with more muscle have a lower risk.
The study involved 412,691 people from the UK, with an average age of 56, who were followed for nine years.
At the beginning of the study, body composition measurements were taken, such as waist and hip measurements, grip strength, bone density, and fat and lean mass.
During the study, 8,224 people developed neurodegenerative diseases, mainly Alzheimer’s disease, other forms of dementia and Parkinson’s disease.
Researchers have found that people with “beer bellies” and “bingo wings” appear to be at higher risk of the diseases, while people with more muscle have a lower risk.
After adjusting for other factors that might affect disease rates, such as high blood pressure, smoking and alcohol use, and diabetes, the researchers found that overall, people with high levels of abdominal fat were 13 percent more likely to develop these diseases than people with low levels of abdominal fat.
People with high levels of arm fat were 18 percent more likely to develop the diseases than those with low levels of arm fat.
However, those with high muscle strength were 26 percent less likely to develop diseases than those with low levels of strength.
Study author Professor Huan Song, from Sichuan University in Chengdu, China, said: ‘Neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s affect more than 60 million people worldwide, and that number is expected to grow as the population ages, so it is crucial that we identify ways to modify risk factors to develop some preventative tools.
‘This study highlights the potential to reduce people’s risk of developing these diseases by improving their body composition.
‘Targeted interventions to reduce trunk and arm fat while promoting healthy muscle development may be more effective in protecting against these diseases than general weight control.’
The link between bingo wings and belly fat and these diseases was partly explained by the occurrence of heart disease and stroke during the study, the researchers said.
People with high muscle strength were 26 percent less likely to develop diseases than those with low levels of strength.
“This underscores the importance of treating these cardiovascular diseases promptly to help prevent or delay the development of Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s or other degenerative diseases,” said Professor Song.
The Alzheimer’s Society reports that there are currently around one million people living with dementia in the UK and this figure is expected to rise to 1.4 million by 2040.
Meanwhile, there are around 153,000 people in the UK living with Parkinson’s, which can cause symptoms such as tremors, stiffness and slowness of movement.
The findings were published in the journal Neurology.