Association of Body Fat Percentage and Waist-hip Ratio With Brain Cortical Thickness: A Study Among 1777 Cognitively Normal Subjects

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Increasing evidence has emerged that there is a link between body weight and the risk of developing dementia. However, the relationship between adiposity and brain structure has not yet been fully elucidated. We aimed to evaluate the association of body fat composition with cortical thickness in cognitively normal subjects.

METHODS: In total, 1777 (887 men and 890 women) cognitively normal subjects, aged 45 years or older, were recruited from the Health Promotion Center in South Korea. Medical records including 3-dimensional magnetic resonance imaging, body fat percentage, waist-hip ratio (WHR), and other factors were reviewed.

RESULTS: In men, the percentage of fat was positively associated with cortical thickness and the highest WHR group showed significantly decreased cortical thickness compared with the reference group. WHR showed an inverted U-shaped association with total cortical thickness and frontal lobe thickness in men. Among women, there was no significant association.

CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that in men, body fat is positively associated with cortical thickness, whereas abdominal fat is negatively associated with cortical thickness.