Early Weight Loss Tied to Faster Cognitive Decline in Parkinson's Disease
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Early weight loss after a diagnosis of Parkinson's disease (PD) may be a harbinger of more rapid deterioration in cognitive function, new research suggests.
Results showed that in the first year after receiving a PD diagnosis, patients who lost more than 3% of their body weight experienced faster decline in global and executive cognitive function than peers who maintained their weight or gained weight.
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@adrita Both weight loss and weight gain have previously been linked to subsequent dementia in elderly populations. However, the evidence linking early weight change and cognitive decline in PD is lacking, the researchers note.
To investigate further, they assessed 358 adults (66% men; mean age, 61 years) who had been diagnosed with PD an average of 2 years earlier. During the first year after diagnosis, 98 participants lost more than 3% of body weight, 201 maintained their weight (within ±3%), and 59 gained more than 3% of body weight.