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More body fat linked to greater risk of cognitive decline, memory issues

HAMILTON, Ontario — The human body is very much the sum of its parts. If one bodily area is out of whack, it’s very likely that other organs and processes will have a problem as well. Case in point, researchers from McMaster University report higher levels of body fat are a risk factor for cognitive decline, slower thought processing speed, and memory issues. Even after the research team accounted for cardiovascular risk factors, like diabetes or hypertension, and vascular brain injuries, the result stayed consistent. There was an undeniable association between body fat and lower cognitive scores. This strongly indicates there are additional, but still unclear pathways connecting excessive fat buildup to cognitive decline.

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