Chiesa, Scott T; Garfield, Victoria; Norris, Thomas; Richards, Marcus; Hughes, Alun D; (2023) Cumulative Exposure To Overweight/Obesity Since Childhood And Cognitive Function In Midlife: Longitudinal Evidence From Three British Birth Cohorts. Presented at: Alzheimer's Research UK Conference 2023, Aberdeen, UK.

Slideshow ARUK 23.pptx - Submitted Version Download (2MB)

Abstract

Introduction: High body mass index (BMI) in mid-life has been linked to future cognitive decline and an increased risk of dementia. It remains unclear, however, whether chronic exposure to overweight/obesity (O/O) in the early decades of life associates with cognitive function prior to old age. / Methods: Harmonised measures of BMI and cognitive function were available in 19,742 participants aged 47-53 years recruited to the 1946 National Survey of Health and Development (NSHD;n=2131), 1958 National Child Development Study (NCDS;n=9385) and 1970 British Cohort Study (BCS;n=8226). BMI trajectories from 10-40 years were created for each participant and O/O duration, change between ages, and cumulative exposure were calculated. Harmonised measures of verbal and non-verbal ability, mathematical ability, and reading ability were used to create a latent factor for childhood cognitive ability; and immediate and delayed recall, executive function, and processing speed for mid-life cognitive ability. Multiple linear regressions and structural equation modelling were used to test potential bidirectional relationships between cognition and BMI. / Results: Increases in BMI across adolescence, longer duration of O/O, and cumulative exposure to O/O were all associated with lower mid-life cognitive function in all cohorts (e.g. NCDS midlife cognitive difference per 10 years O/O duration = -0.12 [-0.15,-0.07]; p<0.001). These effects were partially attenuated when adjusting for contemporary mid-life risk factors (mid-life cognitive difference per 10 years O/O = -0.09 [-0.12,-0.04]; p<0.001), and further attenuated to null following additional adjustment for early-life factors (mid-life cognitive difference per 10 years O/O = -0.03 [-0.09,0.02]; p=0.308). Structural equation modelling suggested the presence of both direct and indirect pathways connecting earlier cognitive ability to later O/O, but not vice versa. / Conclusions: The association between cumulative exposure to O/O in early-life and lower cognitive function in mid-life is likely confounded by a persistently lower cognitive ability from childhood, which in turn is associated with an increased risk of becoming O/O earlier and for longer.

Download activity - last month

Export as CSVXMLJSON

Download activity - last 12 months

Export as XMLCSVJSON

Downloads by country - last 12 months

Export as JSONXMLCSV

Archive Staff Only

View Item