The results, which have been published in the journal Aging and Disease, will be presented at the RSNA's annual meeting next week.
A group of researchers examined the brain MRIs and PET scans of 54 individuals aged 40 to 60 who were considered to be cognitively healthy. The focus of the analysis was on identifying any signs of inflammation, as well as the presence of "plaques and tangles" that are typically associated with Alzheimer's disease.
Additionally, the researchers evaluated the participants' body mass index (BMI), levels of obesity, blood glucose, and abdominal fatty tissue.
Dr. Mahsa Dolatshahi, the study author and a post-doctoral research fellow at the Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology (MIR) at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, stated, "While previous studies have linked BMI to brain atrophy and a higher risk of dementia, no prior study has connected a specific type of fat to the actual Alzheimer's disease protein in individuals who are cognitively normal."
The researchers also explored the differential impact of visceral and subcutaneous fat on Alzheimer's amyloid pathology, particularly during midlife. They discovered that individuals with higher levels of visceral fat also had elevated levels of amyloid in the precuneus cortex, which is the brain region that typically exhibits the earliest signs of Alzheimer's disease. Furthermore, these individuals exhibited greater inflammation in the brain. The correlation between visceral fat and amyloid levels was more pronounced in men than in women.
Dr. Raji, another researcher involved in the study, stated, "We identified the hidden connection between fat and Alzheimer's biomarkers in individuals in their 40s and 50s, on average 15 years before the earliest symptoms of Alzheimer's typically manifest."
The researchers also suggest that visceral fat may contribute to brain inflammation, which is one of the primary mechanisms underlying Alzheimer's disease.
Moving forward, these findings may serve as a foundation for the development of targeted treatments. The hope is that this research will pave the way for new approaches in combating Alzheimer's disease by addressing the connection between fat and Alzheimer's biomarkers.
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