Mid- to late- life body mass index and dementia risk: 38 years of follow-up of the Framingham Study

Given that growing evidence links body mass index (BMI) with poorer health, to explore this link, researchers analyzed 3,632 Framingham Offspring participants aged 20 to 60 years at their second health exam (1979-1982), with 190 cases of incident dementia detected by 2017. A higher risk of dementia that got lower after 70 years was observed in relation to each 1 kg/m ² increase in BMI at 40-49 years. A higher risk of dementia was noted in relation to obesity at 40-49 years. Overall, heterogeneity in the link between BMI and dementia risk was evident across the adult age range. The risk of dementia across an individual’s lifetime may be mediated by BMI monitoring at different age.