Long-term trajectories and current BMI are associated with poorer cognitive functioning in middle-aged adults at high Alzheimer's disease risk.

INTRODUCTION

We examined relationships of body mass index (BMI) with cognition in middle-aged adults at Alzheimer's disease (AD) risk due to parental family history.

METHODS

Participants are offspring of AD patients from the Israel Registry of Alzheimer's Prevention (N = 271). Linear regressions assessed associations of BMI and cognition, and whether associations differed by maternal/paternal history. Analyses of covariance examined associations of long-term trajectories of BMI with cognition.

RESULTS

Higher BMI was associated with worse language ( = .045). Interactions of BMI with parental history were significant for episodic memory ( = .023), language (p = .027), working memory ( = .006), global cognition ( = .008); associations were stronger among participants with maternal history. Interactions of BMI trajectories with parental history were significant for episodic memory ( = .017), language ( = .013), working memory ( = .001), global cognition ( = .005), with stronger associations for maternal history.

DISCUSSION

Higher BMI and overweight/obese trajectories were associated with poorer cognition in adults with maternal history of AD, but not those with paternal history.