Relation between body mass index and cognitive function in healthy middle-aged men and women
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To assess whether body mass index (BMI) is associated with cognitive function and cognitive decline in healthy men and women. METHODS: In this prospective cohort study, we analyzed data from 2,223 healthy workers aged 32 to 62 years at baseline. Medical, psychosocial, and environmental data were collected in 1996 and in 2001. We tested cognitive functions at baseline and at follow-up with word-list learning (four recalls), a Digit-Symbol Substitution Test, and a selective attention test. RESULTS: Cross-sectionally, a higher BMI was associated with lower cognitive scores after adjustment for age, sex, educational level, blood pressure, diabetes, and other psychosocial covariables. A higher BMI at baseline was also associated with a higher cognitive decline at follow-up, after adjustment for the above-cited confounding factors. This association was significant for word-list learning. For the changes in scores at word-list learning (delayed recall), regression coefficients were -0.008 +/- 0.13, -0.09 +/- 0.13, -0.17 +/- 0.14, and -0.35 +/- 0.14 (p for trend < 0.001) for the second, third, fourth, and fifth quintiles of BMI at baseline when compared with the first quintile. No significant association was found between changes in BMI and cognitive function. CONCLUSIONS: Body mass index was independently associated both with cognitive function (word-list learning and Digit-Symbol Substitution Test) and changes in word-list learning in healthy, nondemented, middle-aged men and women.
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Obesity is linked to neurological changes such as Alzheimer's disease, vascular dementia, and brain atrophy, and obese persons show impairments on cognitive tests of attention, executive function, and memory.
“obesity has been linked with increased risk for neurological changes, including Alzheimer’s disease, vascular dementia, as well as brain atrophy.4,5 Indeed, obese persons also exhibit impairments on formal cognitive testing, including on tasks of attention, executive function, and memory.6,7”
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- Authors
- Cournot, M., Marquié, J. C., Ansiau, D., Martinaud, C., Fonds, H., Ferrières, J., & Ruidavets, J. B.
- Affiliations
- Inserm (FR)
- From INSERM U558, Toulouse University School of Medicine (M.C., J.F., J.-B.R.); Department of Epidemiology, CHU Toulouse (M.C., J.F., J.-B.R.); Work and Cognition Laboratory, CNRS UMR 5551, University of Toulouse-le Mirail (J.-C.M., D.A.); Service Interuniversitaire de Médecine Préventive et de Protection de la Santé (C.M.); and Inspection Médicale du Travail, Direction Régionale du Travail et de l’Emploi (H.F.), Toulouse, France.
- Venue
- Neurology
- Published
- 2006-10-10
- Volume
- 67
- Issue
- 7
- Pages
- 1208-1214
- ISSN
- 0028-3878 (ISSN-L)
- 1526-632X
- OpenAlex
- W2003318621
- Cited by
- 517
- References
- 3
- Citations by year
- 2026: 7 · 2025: 24 · 2024: 26 · 2023: 30 · 2022: 35 · 2021: 23 · 2020: 28 · 2019: 54 · 2018: 28 · 2017: 35 · 2016: 43 · 2015: 29 · 2014: 34 · 2013: 23 · 2012: 24
- FWCI
- 8.07
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Neurology (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Psychiatry and Mental health › Dementia and Cognitive Impairment Research
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Cognitive Abilities and Testing
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Pulmonary and Respiratory Medicine › Cancer-related cognitive impairment studies
- Keywords
- body mass index, obesity, cognitive function, cognitive decline, word list learning, delayed recall, Digit Symbol Substitution Test, selective attention, middle-aged adults, healthy workers, dementia risk
- MeSH terms
- Adult, Cognition, Female, France, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Risk Factors, Statistics as Topic, Body Mass Index
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