In the next decade, a shocking 50% of adults in the United States might be affected by obesity. This is a big deal because obesity is linked to problems with thinking and memory, and even dementia.
But there’s some hopeful news from researchers at Michigan Medicine. They found that people with obesity who had bariatric surgery – a surgery to help lose weight – seemed to keep their thinking and memory skills stable for two years after the surgery.
This finding, published in the Journal of Nutrition, Health & Aging, suggests that bariatric surgery might help stop the usual decline in brain functions that often happens in people with obesity.
Evan Reynolds, Ph.D., the lead statistician for this study, explained that since people with obesity usually experience faster declines in their thinking abilities than those without obesity, having stable thinking skills two years after surgery is pretty promising.
But he also said that more studies are needed to really understand this effect.
To figure this out, the research team used a bunch of tests that measure memory and language skills. They tested over 85 people who had bariatric surgery and checked in with them two years later.
What they found was interesting: while the overall scores on these tests stayed about the same, some specific areas like executive function (which includes things like planning and decision-making) actually got better.
However, one memory test showed a bit of a decline after surgery.
This study is the largest of its kind looking at brain functions two years after bariatric surgery.
But, it’s a bit different from earlier studies that found improvements in memory and decision-making skills in people who had a different type of bariatric surgery called gastric bypass. Most people in this study had a sleeve gastrectomy, which is another type of weight-loss surgery.
Reynolds mentioned that more extensive studies or even randomized trials might be needed to really figure out the effects of different kinds of bariatric surgeries on brain health.
The team also noticed that improvements in diabetes-related problems after surgery didn’t necessarily mean better brain functions. This is important because both diabetes and obesity can affect how well our brains work.
Brian Callaghan, M.D., a neurologist and one of the senior authors of the study, said that even though we know that metabolic factors like diabetes and obesity are linked to declines in brain function, we still need to understand better how to treat these issues to help people’s thinking and memory.
This study was a team effort, with contributions from several experts at the University of Michigan. It was supported by a grant from the National Institutes of Health, specifically focusing on diabetes and digestive and kidney diseases.
If you care about weight loss, please read studies about the keto diet for weight loss: Pros and cons, and how to drink water to lose weight.
For more information about weight loss, please see recent studies about best cheeses to improve diabetes and lose weight, and results showing gastric sleeve weight-loss surgery: a real story.
The research findings can be found in the Journal of Nutrition, Health & Aging.
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