Overview

• High abdominal fat was associated with a 13% higher chance of any dementia diagnosis compared with low abdominal fat.
• Greater arm fat carried an 18% higher risk, while strong grip strength was linked to a 26% lower likelihood of neurodegenerative disease.
• Participants with more leg fat and higher bone density also showed reduced risk in the analysis.
• Elevated belly or arm fat overlapped with cardiovascular disease, including 35% of high-belly-fat cases and 14% of high-arm-fat cases who had both conditions.
• The findings are observational, and Cleveland Clinic guidance notes that waists of 35 inches for women and 40 inches for men indicate elevated visceral fat and related health risk.