Skip to main content
. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2016 May 31.
Published in final edited form as: Obes Rev. 2008 Mar 6;9(3):204–218. doi: 10.1111/j.1467-789X.2008.00473.x

Table 1.

Main characteristics and findings of review and meta-analysis

Authors Year Study name Country Baseline age, sex Sample size # of dementia cases Dementia assessment Follow-up time Adiposity measures/Criteria Main findings
Luchsinger et al., 36 2007 __ USA 77.0±5.7, both 980 Dementia: 181 DSM-IV 109 5 years BMI, WC, Weight change: measured

BMI and WC quartiles

Ref:
BMI:<23.4 kg/m2 		No significant association between BMI and dementia or its sub-types.

After controlling for age, sex, education, ethnic group and ApoE ε4 status:
AD: 112 NINCDS-ADRDA 110 WC: ≤83 cm. WC>97 cm. for VaD:
HR: 2.3 (1.0, 5.1)
VaD: 53 ICD10: 111 Weight change: Loss Stable (ref) Gain Weight gain (vs. stable weight) for VaD:
HR: 2.8 (1.0, 7.9)
Whitmer et al.,37 2007 Kaiser Permanente USA 40–45, both 10,136 AD: 477 ICD9: 3331.0 112 36 years BMI: measured

WHO categories

Ref: 18.5–24.9 kg/m2 		After controlling for age, sex, education, race, marital status, smoking, hyperlipidemia, hypertension, diabetes, ischemic heart disease and stroke:
BMI≥30 for AD:
HR:3.10 (2.19, 4.38)
BMI≥30 for VaD:
HR: 5.01 (2.98, 8.43)
VaD: 132 ICD9: 290.4 112 25≤BMI≤29.9 for AD:
HR: 2.09 (1.69, 2.60)
25≤ BMI≤29.9 for VaD:
HR: 1.95 (1.29, 2.96)
BMI<18.5 for AD:
HR: 1.07 (0.50, 2.27)
BMI<18.5 for VaD:
HR: 0.65 (0.09, 4.72)
Hayden et al., 38 2006 Cache County study USA 65+, both 3,123 Dementia: 141 DSMIII-R 113 3.2 years BMI: reported (self and proxy) After controlling for age, sex, education, ApoEε4 status, hypertension, high cholesterol, diabetes, stroke, CABG and MI:
AD: 104 NINCDS-ADRDA 110
VaD: 37 NINDS-AIREN114 Obesity: BMI≥30 kg/m2

Ref: <30 kg/m2 		Obesity for dementia:
HR: 1.76 (1.03, 2.88)
Obesity for AD:
HR: 1.93 (1.05, 3.36)
Obesity for VaD:
HR: 1.16 (0.37, 3.12)
Kivipelto et al., 39 2005 Cardiovascular Risk Factors, Aging and Dementia (CAIDE) Finland 65–79, both 1,449 Dementia: 61 DSM-IV109 21 years BMI: measured
Normal:≤25 kg/m2
Overweight: 25–30
Obese:>30

Ref: normal		 After controlling for age, sex, education, follow-up time, SBP, DBP, total cholesterol, smoking, ApoE status, and history of diabetes, MI and stroke:

Obese for dementia:
OR: 1.88 (0.76, 4.63)
AD: 48 NINCDS-ADRDA 110 Overwt. for dementia:
OR: 0.99 (0.47, 2.15)

Obese for AD:
OR: 1.76 (0.67, 4.61)
Whitmer et al., 42 2005 Kaiser Permanente USA 40–45, both 10,276 Dementia: 713 ICD-9: 2900.0,7809.3, 3310.0,2904.1, 2900.1 112 27 years BMI: measured
Obese: ≥30 kg/m2
Overweight: 25–29.9
Normal:18.6–24.9
Underweight: ≤18.5

Ref: Normal

SST and TST: quintiles

Ref: Lowest quintile		 After controlling for age, sex, education, race, marital status and comorbidity (hypertension, diabetes, hyperlipidemia, stroke and ischemic heart disease):
obese for dementia:
HR: 1.74 (1.34, 2.26)
overwt. for dementia:
HR: 1.35 (1.14, 1.60)
underwt.for.dementia:
HR: 1.24 (0.70, 2.21)
Women >Men

Highest SST quintile for dementia:
HR: 1.72 (1.36, 2.18)

Highest TST quintile for dementia:
HR: 1.59 (1.24,2.04)
Rosengren et al., 41 2005 Primary Prevention Study Sweden 47–55y, men 7,402 AD: 22 ICD-8,9,10: 290.10, 290B or 331A, F00.0-F00.1 or F00.9 111, 112 25 years BMI: measured

Six categories: <20.0 to ≥30 kg/m2

Ref: 20–22.5 kg/m2 		After controlling for age, smoking, social class, SBP, diabetes mellitus, and cholesterol:

Obese for all dementia:
HR: 1.84 (1.01, 3.34)
Dementia (primary): 154 ICD-8,9,10 111, 112 Obese for. dementia as primary diag.:
HR: 2.54 (1.20, 5.36)
Dementia (secondary): 78 ICD-8,9,10 111, 112
Gustafson et al., 50 2003 __ Sweden 70y, both 382 At ages 70, 75, 79y:

Dementia: 34, 34, 33		 DSM-IIIR 113 18 years BMI: measured After controlling for DBP, cardiovascular disease, cigarette smoking, socioeconomic status, and treatment for hypertension:
BMI (1-unit increase) vs. total dementia*:
HR: 1.13 (1.04, 1.24)
AD: 17,17,17 NINCDS-ADRDA 110 Continuous var. HR: 1.13 (1.04, 1.24)
HR: 1.15 (1.05, 1.26)
VaD: 16,15,14 NINDS-AIREN114 BMI (1-unit increase) vs. AD*:
HR: 1.36 (1.16, 1.59)
HR: 1.35 (1.19, 1.53)
HR: 1.23 (1.10, 1.37)

BMI (1-unit increase) vs. VaD*:
HR: 1.01 (0.88, 1.15)
HR: 1.07 (1.02, 1.12)
HR: 1.00 (0.89, 1.13)
*BMI measured at 70, 75 and 79y, respectively.
Nourhashemi et al., 40 2003 PAQUID France 65+, both 3,646 Dementia: 221 __ DSM-IIIR 113 8 years BMI: reported After controlling for sex, age, age*sex, education, alcohol, and tobacco consumption:
BMI≥27vs.dementia:
RR: 0.83 (0.59, 1.18)
BMI<21vs.dementia:
RR: 1.48 (1.08, 2.04)
Ref: 23–26 kg/m2 (dementia at any follow-up time)
Kalmijn et al. 41 2000 Honolulu- Asia Aging Study (HAAS) USA, Japanese-American 45–66y, men 3,734 Dementia: 215 DSM-IIIR 113 25 years BMI: measured
Continuous: 1 SD=2.9 kg/m2 		After controlling for age and education:

BMI (1 SD increase) vs. dementia:
RR: 1.21 (1.05, 1.40)
AD: 82 NINCDS-ADRDA 110 SST: measured 1 SD=6.5 mm (central obesity) SST (1 SD increase) vs. dementia:
RR: 1.21 (1.06, 1.40)
VaD: 73 CADTS 115
Yoshitake et al., 51 1995 __ Japan 65+, both 828 Dementia: 103 DSM-IIIR 113 7 years BMI: measured SST/TST ratio After controlling for age, smoking and other comorbidities:
AD:42 NINCDS-ADRDA 110 Continuous var. BMI (1 unit increase) vs. AD:
RR: 0.75 (0.54, 1.03)
VaD:50 NINDS-AIREN114 BMI (1 unit increase) vs. VaD:
RR: 1.31 (0.98, 1.74)

There was no association between SST/TST ratio and dementia.

Abbreviations: AD: Alzheimer’s Disease; BMI: Body Mass Index (in kg/m2); WC: Waist circumference (in centimeters); VaD: Vascular dementia; DSM: diagnostic and statistical manual; WHO: World Health Organization; ICD: International Classification of Disease; HAAS: Honolulu-Asia Aging Study; CAIDE: Cardiovascular Risk Factors, Aging and Dementia; OR: Odds Ratio; HR: Hazard Ratio; RR: Risk Ratio; SST: Subscapular Skinfold Thickness; TST: Triceps Skinfold Thickness; NINCDS-ADRDA: National Institute of Neurological and Communicative Disorders and Stroke -- the Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Disorders Association; NINDS-AIREN: National Institute of Neurological and Communicative Disorders and Stroke--Association Internationale pour la Recherche et l’Enseignement en Neurosciences.