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A team of researchers from Sichuan University in Chengdu, China, has reached this conclusion. Their study also revealed that individuals with higher muscle strength are less likely to develop neurodegenerative diseases.
These diseases involve the gradual loss of function and eventual death of nerve cells. Among these conditions are dementia (including its most severe form, Alzheimer’s disease) and Parkinson’s disease.
The researchers suggested that losing excess fat in the arms and torso while simultaneously promoting healthy muscle development could be an effective means of protection against these diseases—potentially even more effective than overall weight loss.
What Scientists Discovered
During their research, the team analyzed data from 412,691 individuals in the UK Biobank. The average age of participants was 56 years, and they were observed over a nine-year period.
The researchers measured the body composition of the volunteers, including waist and hip circumference, grip strength, bone density, as well as fat and muscle mass.
Throughout the study, 8,224 participants developed neurodegenerative diseases, as reported by the Independent.
According to the results, individuals with high levels of fat in their arms had an 18 percent higher risk of developing these diseases compared to those with low levels of fat in that area. Meanwhile, those with high abdominal fat had a 13 percent higher risk than those with lower levels of fat in that region.
Conversely, individuals with high muscle strength had a 26 percent lower risk of developing such diseases compared to those with low muscle strength.
The researchers proposed that the link between fat accumulation and neurodegenerative diseases is partially explained by the onset of cardiovascular diseases that occurred during the study.
Key Takeaways
“These neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s, affect over 60 million people worldwide, and this number is expected to rise as the population ages,” noted Professor Huang Song, the lead author of the study.
Given this, it is crucial that the new research identifies potential opportunities to reduce the risk of these diseases through improved body composition.
“Targeted interventions aimed at reducing fat deposits in the torso and arms, along with healthy muscle development, may be more effective in protecting against these diseases than general weight management,” said Professor Song.
Additionally, timely treatment of cardiovascular diseases is extremely important in preventing the development of neurodegenerative diseases.
The findings of the study were published in the journal Neurology.
