In a recent study published in Diabetes Care , researchers examined associations between metabolic syndrome (MetS) and cognitive and neuroimaging outcomes in dementia-free adults. Study: Association of Metabolic Syndrome With Neuroimaging and Cognitive Outcomes in the UK Biobank . Image Credit: Frame Stock Footage/Shutterstock.
com MetS is a significant public health concern characterized by vascular and cardiometabolic risk factors. It affects one-fourth of the global adult population. MetS is generally diagnosed based on the presence of one of these traits – 1) elevated blood pressure, blood glucose, and triglycerides, 2) reduced high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, and 3) larger waist circumference.
MetS is recognized as a modifiable risk factor for cerebrovascular and cardiovascular diseases; thus, it could be an attractive target for disease prevention strategies. Besides, the global incidence of dementia has been increasing and is projected to triple in the next three decades. Recent studies have linked MetS to a higher dementia risk.
Cognitive and neuroimaging measures can reveal which aspects of brain health might be affected. Conventional vascular and cardiometabolic risk factors, such as obesity, hyperlipidemia, hypertension, diabetes, etc., have been individually linked to poorer brain health.
A meta-analysis revealed that MetS was associated with lower cognitive test scores. While studies have assessed MetS in relation to cognition or neuroimaging, there a.
