Body mass index and risk of dementia: Analysis of individual-level data from 1.3 million individuals.

ABSTRACT:

Introduction

Higher midlife body mass index (BMI) is suggested to increase the risk of dementia, but weight loss during the preclinical dementia phase may mask such effects.

Methods

We examined this hypothesis in 1,349,857 dementia-free participants from 39 cohort studies. BMI was assessed at baseline. Dementia was ascertained at follow-up using linkage to electronic health records (N = 6894). We assumed BMI is little affected by preclinical dementia when assessed decades before dementia onset and much affected when assessed nearer diagnosis.

Results

Hazard ratios per 5-kg/m² increase in BMI for dementia were 0.71 (95% confidence interval = 0.66-0.77), 0.94 (0.89-0.99), and 1.16 (1.05-1.27) when BMI was assessed 10 years, 10-20 years, and >20 years before d

SUBMITTER: Kivimaki M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5948099 | biostudies-literature | 2018 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature