Could Unintentional Weight Loss Signal Mild Cognitive Impairment?

Increasing weight loss in the decades between midlife and late life could be a warning sign for mild cognitive impairment (MCI), according to a new study.

Previous research has linked unintentional weight loss to dementia, but its relationship with MCI has been less well documented.
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To further examine this issue, researchers conducted a population-based, prospective study of 1895 participants 70 years old and older from the Mayo Clinic Study of Aging. The participants’ height and weight in midlife were obtained using their medical records.

Participants underwent an assessment for cognitive outcomes of normal cognition, MCI, or dementia at baseline and at 15-month interval evaluations.

Overall, 524 of the 1895 participants developed MCI. The mean weight change per decade from midlife to late life was higher in participants that developed MCI than in healthy participants, and a greater decline in weight was associated with increased risk of MCI, with a 5kg weight loss per decade correlating to a 24% increase in MCI risk.

“These findings suggest that increasing weight loss per decade from midlife to late life is a marker for MCI and may help identify persons at increased risk for MCI.”

—Michael Potts

Reference:

Alhurani RE, Vassilaki M, Aakre JA, et al. Decline in weight and incident mild cognitive impairment. JAMA Neurology. February 1, 2016 [epub ahead of print]. doi:10.1001/jamaneurol.2015.4756.