GeroScience, 2025

Sex differences in body mass index and waist circumference trajectories and dementia risk: the HUNT4 70+ study

Abstract

Abstarct: 

We examined associations between body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), and dementia risk, and differences in BMI and WC trajectories before dementia diagnosis. We included 9,739 participants (54% women) aged 70+ from the Trøndelag Health Study (HUNT4 70+). BMI was measured four times (1984-2019) and WC three times (1995-2019). Dementia diagnoses were clinically assessed at HUNT4 70+ . Women and men with dementia had higher midlife BMI and WC than those without dementia. These differences diminished closer to diagnosis, especially in women. Midlife obesity in both sexes and midlife overweight, high WC, and overweight/obesity with high WC in men were linked to higher dementia risk. Lower dementia risk was observed with late-life overweight for both sexes, late-life high WC in women, late-life overweight/obesity with normal WC in men or high WC in women. Adiposity measures and their changes influence dementia risk differently in women and men.

Forfattere

Ekaterina Zotcheva, Bjørn Heine Strand, Vegard Skirbekk, Kay Deckers, Steinar Krokstad, Gill Livingston, Archana Singh-Manoux, Geir Selbæk

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BMC Public Health, 2025

Mediators of educational differences in dementia risk later in life: evidence from the HUNT study

Abstract

Abstarct:

Despite a well-known inverse association between education and dementia risk, the mediating mechanisms are not well understood. We explored how lifestyle and health risk factors across the life-course mediate the relationship between education and dementia among adults aged 70 + years. We included 7,655 participants with dementia diagnoses and education information, using a historical cohort design linking prospective exposure data across the life course from the HUNT4 70 + Study with registry data from Statistics Norway and earlier HUNT surveys. We conducted causal mediation analysis to assess the mediating roles of occupational characteristics, lifestyle factors (smoking, physical inactivity), and health risk factors (obesity, hypertension, diabetes, hearing impairment, cardiovascular diseases, LDL cholesterol, depression, anxiety) assessed during early, middle, and late adulthood in the relationship between education and dementia in later life. Participants with lower education were more likely to have dementia with odds ratios of 1.99, 1.88, 1.83 for the model’s accounting exposure to mediators during early, middle, and late adulthood, respectively. These associations were partially mediated by the joint effect of health and lifestyle risk factors from early through late adulthood (mediated 11.55-19.50%). Health risk factors from early to late adulthood jointly mediated 6.85-13.06% of the effect of low education on dementia risk later in life. Additionally, lifestyle factors during middle and late adulthood jointly mediated 4.11-4.96% of the total effect of low education on dementia risk later in life. Educational differences in dementia risk can partly mediated by lifestyle and health factors across the life course. These findings suggest potential targets to address varying dementia risks linked to education levels.

Forfattere

Teferi Mekonnen, Vegard Skirbekk, Asta Kristine Håberg, Bo Engdahl, Ekaterina Zotcheva, Astanand Jugessur, Catherine Bowen, Geir Selbaek, Hans-Peter Kohler, Jennifer R Harris, Sarah E Tom, Steinar Krokstad, Trine Holt Edwin, Dana Kristjansson, Merete Ellingjord-Dale, Yaakov Stern, Bernt Bratsberg, Bjørn Heine Strand

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