Sex differences in body mass index and waist circumference trajectories and dementia risk: the HUNT4 70+ study
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.
Authors
- Geir Selbæk (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6511-8219)
- Ekaterina Zotcheva (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5777-4731)
- Kay Deckers (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1339-2974)
- Steinar Krokstad (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2932-6675)
- Vegard Skirbekk (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1647-3246)
- Archana Singh‐Manoux (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1244-5037)
- Gill Livingston (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6741-5516)
- Bjørn Heine Strand (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4385-8886)
Institutions
- Oslo University Hospital (NO)
- Norwegian Institute of Public Health (NO)
- Inserm (FR)
- University of Oslo (NO)
- Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust (GB)
- Université Paris Cité (FR)
- Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NO)
- Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust (GB)
- Levanger Hospital (NO)
- Sykehuset i Vestfold (NO)
- Maastricht University (NL)
- Sorbonne Paris Cité (FR)
- St Pancras Hospital (GB)
- Ullevål Sykehusapotek (NO)
- Richmond upon Thames College (GB)
- University College London (GB)
Publication Details
- Journal
- GeroScience
- Published
- 2025-04-21
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1007/s11357-025-01660-3
- Citations
- 1
- Primary Topic
- Nutrition and Health in Aging
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 1.16
Funders
- Foundation for the National Institutes of Health
- Stiftelsen Kristian Gerhard Jebsen
- Norges Teknisk-Naturvitenskapelige Universitet
- School of Public Health, University of Michigan
- Helse Midt-Norge
- Sykehuset i Vestfold
- Medical School, University of Michigan
- Fakultet for medisin og helsevitenskap, Norges Teknisk-Naturvitenskapelige Universitet
- European Research Council
- Helse Sør-Øst RHF
- Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney
- Norwegian Institute of Public Health