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. 2019 Feb 5;92(6):e594-e600.
doi: 10.1212/WNL.0000000000006879. Epub 2019 Jan 9.

Association of body mass index and waist-to-hip ratio with brain structure: UK Biobank study

Mark Hamer  1 , G David Batty  2
Affiliations

Association of body mass index and waist-to-hip ratio with brain structure: UK Biobank study

Mark Hamer et al. Neurology. .

Abstract

Objective: To examine the association of body mass index (BMI) and waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) with brain volume.

Methods: We used cross-sectional data from the UK Biobank study (n = 9,652, age 55.4 ± 7.5 years, 47.9% men). Measures included BMI, WHR, and total fat mass as ascertained from bioimpedance. Brain images were produced with structural MRI.

Results: After adjustment for a range of covariates, higher levels of all obesity measures were related to lower gray matter volume: BMI per 1 SD (β coefficient -4,113, 95% confidence interval [CI] -4,862 to -3,364), WHR (β coefficient -4,272, 95% CI -5,280 to -3,264), and fat mass (β coefficient -4,590, 95% CI -5,386 to -3,793). The combination of overall obesity (BMI ≥30 kg/m2) and central obesity (WHR >0.85 for women, >0.90 for men) was associated with the lowest gray matter compared with that in lean adults. In hypothesis-free testing with a Bonferroni correction, obesity was also related to various regional brain volumes, including caudate, putamen, pallidum, and nucleus accumbens. No associations between obesity and white matter were apparent.

Conclusion: The combination of heightened BMI and WHR may be an important risk factor for gray matter atrophy.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1. Flowchart describing sample selection
Figure 2
Figure 2. Association between body mass index and gray matter volume relative to age
Data are presented as means adjusted for age, sex, smoking, vigorous physical activity, alcohol, education, major depression, heart disease, and hypertension.
Figure 3
Figure 3. Body mass index and waist-to-hip in relation to gray matter brain volume
Data are presented as means adjusted for age, sex, smoking, vigorous physical activity, alcohol, education, major depression, heart disease, and hypertension.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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