"Scientists have discovered that certain hidden fat patterns-not just obesity itself-may accelerate brain aging and raise the risk of cognitive decline. Fat stored in the pancreas or carried by so-called "skinny fat" individuals was especially linked to brain shrinkage and neurological risk. Credit: Shutterstock How obesity affects the brain may depend on more than overall body weight. New research published on January 27 in Radiology, the flagship journal of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA), suggests that the location of fat in the body plays a major role in brain health and cognitive outcomes."
"The study was led by researchers at The Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University in Xuzhou, China. Using MRI scans, the team identified two previously unrecognized patterns of fat distribution that showed the strongest links to negative brain and cognitive changes. One pattern, called "pancreatic predominant," is marked by unusually high fat levels in the pancreas compared with other parts of the body. The second, known as "skinny fat," involves a high overall fat burden in people who do not appear severely obese by traditional standards."
MRI-based body-fat mapping identified two distinct fat-distribution patterns strongly linked to adverse brain and cognitive outcomes. One pattern, pancreatic predominant, features disproportionately high fat accumulation in the pancreas relative to other compartments. The other pattern, described as skinny fat, involves a high total fat burden in individuals who do not appear severely obese by conventional measures. Both patterns were associated with brain shrinkage and increased neurological risk. The findings indicate that fat location and internal organ fat may be more informative for brain health than overall body weight or BMI alone.
Read at ScienceDaily
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