A round-up of today's other stories in brief
Middle-aged obese at higher risk of dementia
PEOPLE WHO are obese in middle age are at almost four times greater risk of developing dementias such as Alzheimer’s disease in later life than people of normal weight, according to a study released today.
The study, published in the journal Neurology, examined data on more than 8,500 people over the age of 65. Of the sample, 350 had been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease or vascular dementia and a further 114 had possible dementia.
Scientists used records of the participants’ height and weight in the decades before and found that those who had been overweight in middle age had a 1.8 times (80 per cent) higher risk of dementia in later life. But for obese people, classified as those having a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or above, the risk soared. People with midlife obesity had an almost four times higher risk of dementia.
“Currently, 1.6 billion adults are overweight or obese worldwide and over 50 per cent of adults in the US and Europe fit into this category,” said Weili Xu of the Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm, who led the research. “Our results contribute to the growing evidence that controlling body weight or losing weight in middle age could reduce your risk of dementia.”
Obese people are classified as those with BMI greater than 30, overweight people are those with a BMI of 25-30. Almost 30 per cent of those in the study, 2,541 in total, had been either overweight or obese at 40-60 years of age.
About 44,000 people in Ireland suffer from dementia. The Alzheimers Society of Ireland will host its annual Tea Day on Thursday 5th. Visit teaday@alzheimer.ie
Liposuction fat pops up elsewhere
FAT REMOVED by liposuction returns in other areas of the body after one year, a study has found.
According to University of Colorado research, patients who had fat deposits removed from one part of their body were shocked to find new fat deposits appearing elsewhere 12 months later.
But it did not reappear in the women’s thighs. Instead, it was redistributed mostly in the upper abdomen, but also around the shoulders and triceps of the arms.
Hospice challenge takes to the Alps on two wheels
CYCLING THROUGH France isn't just a pleasant activity: it's a wonderful tradition, and of course helped inspire the most famous cycling race in the world, writes IAN O'RIORDAN
Since 2009, the Irish Hospice Foundation has used it as part of its annual fundraising cycle challenge. The 2011 event comes in two stages – the first cycling to France, as in Dublin to Paris, from July 17th-22nd, and the second taking in the mostly mountainous route of Geneva to Nice, from July 24th-30th.
The aim is to create a “peloton” of about 60 cyclists between the two routes, with about 40 taking on the Geneva to Nice route – which will follow in the wheels of this year’s Tour de France, including the famous Alpe d’Huez on day three.
The Hospice Foundation cycles of the past two years have attracted cyclists of all abilities, aged 20-75. Among those already signed up for this summer are Regina Glynn and Mary Rose Burke, mothers of four and five respectively, from Mallow, Co Cork – who have become very good friends through cycling, and completed the Dublin-Paris route in 2009, and Paris-Geneva route last July. Next up is the 523km from Geneva to Nice.
The cycles have raised €720,000 for Children’s Hospice Home Care over the past two years. On a national level, an estimated 1,400 children are living with life-limiting conditions in Ireland. There are about 350 child deaths each year.
Registration is encouraged by May 6th, by tel: 01-6793188 or by e-mail to: fundraising@hospice-foundation.ie. See further details at: hospice-foundation.ie