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LONDON – A new study has revealed a significant link between midlife waist-to-hip ratio and diet quality, and cognitive function in later life. Researchers from Oxford University, University College London, and international collaborators found that a lower waist-to-hip ratio and a healthier diet during middle age are associated with improved brain health in older age.
The study, published in JAMA Network Open, analyzed data from the Whitehall II Study, a long-term cohort of British civil service workers. Researchers examined 512 participants for diet quality and 664 for waist-to-hip ratio, focusing on how these factors influenced brain connectivity and cognitive performance around the age of 70.
Diet quality was assessed using the Alternative Healthy Eating Index–2010 (AHEI-2010), while waist-to-hip ratio was measured at five time points over 21 years. Brain connectivity was evaluated using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) and resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), and cognitive function was assessed through tests of working memory, executive function, and fluency.
The findings indicated that higher AHEI-2010 scores in midlife were associated with increased hippocampal functional connectivity and better white matter integrity. This translated to improved working memory, executive function, and overall cognitive performance.
Conversely, a higher waist-to-hip ratio in midlife was linked to decreased white matter integrity and poorer cognitive performance. The study showed that abdominal obesity correlated with increased mean diffusivity and radial diffusivity in key white matter tracts, which are crucial for memory and executive function.
“Our findings suggest that diet quality and abdominal obesity in midlife are predictive of brain connectivity and cognitive function in later life,” stated the researchers.
In an accompanying commentary, Dr. Sharmili Edwin Thanarajah from Goethe University Frankfurt emphasized the public health implications of these findings, noting the rising global obesity rates and the need for systemic interventions to address poor dietary habits. She also highlighted the need for further research on sex differences in dietary behavior and metabolism, given the study’s predominantly male participant base.
The commentary also addressed the complex role of alcohol consumption, which was associated with poorer diet quality in the study. Thanarajah suggested that future research should delve deeper into the independent effects of alcohol on brain function.
While the study suggests a strong association between midlife health factors and later-life cognition, the researchers acknowledge the challenge of proving causality. They call for intervention studies to confirm whether modifying diet and obesity during midlife can directly alter brain aging trajectories.
“Longitudinal studies like this one suggest that dietary improvements in midlife may benefit brain structure and function decades later, yet demonstrating causality remains challenging.” stated Thanarajah.
Disclaimer: This news article is based on the provided research information. It is intended for informational purposes only and does not provide medical advice. Individuals should consult with healthcare professionals for personalized guidance on diet, health, and cognitive function. The findings presented in this article represent the results of a specific study and may not be universally applicable. Further research is necessary to confirm these findings and establish causal relationships.
