Women with fatter stomachs in midlife more likely to develop dementia: study

By Stephen Beech

Women whose waistline expands during midlife are more likely to develop dementia , suggests a new study.

An excessive accumulation of fat in the abdominal area in middle-aged women is a risk factor for cognitive decline, say scientists.

The study, published in the journal Menopause , shows a woman’s waist size could hold clues to their risk of cognitive decline as they age.

Doctors say weight gain, especially around the waist, is common during the perimenopause and post-menopause period.

Such gains, along with declining estrogen levels that are common after menopause, are linked with decreases in insulin sensitivity and increases in inflammatory processes.

The new study suggests that “central adiposity” – or the excessive accumulation of fat in the abdominal regi