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Alzheimer’s Society comment on research into abdominal obesity and risk of dementia published in Journal of the American Academy of Neurology

Published 27 March 2008

We have known for sometime that obesity dramatically increases your risk of developing dementia.

This new study highlights that having a large abdomen, regardless of weight, also significantly increases your risk.

This is an important piece of research but the results are not that surprising as a large stomach is associated with high blood pressure, cholesterol and diabetes - all major risk factors for dementia.

We are learning more and more that what is good for your heart is also good for your brain. One in three people over 65 will die with dementia, a stark fact that should prompt us all to try to challenge dementia by keeping healthy.

Professor Clive Ballard
Director of research