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Weight-Related Threat

Weight-Related Threat


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In some older women, bigger numbers on the scale may be linked to poorer mental function. Hi, I'm Dr. Cindy Haines, host of HealthDay TV.

Alzheimer's disease affects about 5.3 million Americans, most of them ages 65 and older, according to the Alzheimer's Association.
Because about one-fifth of our population will be over the age of 65 in a few decades, experts are trying to figure out which factors raise people's risk of dementia.

In a new study from the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, researchers included nearly 9,000 postmenopausal women between the ages of 65 and 79 who didn't have signs of dementia. The women took a test of their mental abilities and underwent a variety of body measurements. The researchers found that a higher body mass index was associated with poorer test scores. Body mass index - or BMI - is a way of estimating whether people are at a healthy weight for their height. However, this relationship was only seen in women with smaller waist measurements, and not in women whose waists were larger compared to their hips. I'm Dr. Cindy Haines of HealthDay TV, with the news that doctors are reading; health news that matters to you.

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