title: Triceps and Subscapular Skinfold in Men Aged 40-65 and Dementia Prevalence 36 Years Later.
abstract: The relationship of obesity with risk for dementia is complex and may change with age.
  
  
  
  To analyze the relationship between measures of obesity at age 40-65 and dementia prevalence in survivors 36 years later.
  
  
  
  Obesity-related measures of triceps and subscapular skinfold thickness were assessed in 1963 in n = 9,760 men aged 40-65 participating in the Israel Ischemic Heart Disease study. Cognitive evaluation and assessment of dementia prevalence were performed in n = 1,643 participants of the original cohort who survived until 1999/2000 (age ≥76 years) and had anthropometric measures in 1963.
  
  
  
  Age-adjusted prevalence of dementia in survivors in 1999/2000 by baseline triceps skinfold quintile was 20.5%, 21.2%, 17.6%, 15.6%, and 14.5%, respectively, from lowest to highest (p = 0.006 in trend test). Using logistic regression, a 6-mm increment of triceps skinfold was associated with an age and BMI-adjusted odds ratio of 0.81 (95% CI, 0.70-0.94) for dementia prevalence among survivors. Age-adjusted risk for dementia by subscapular skinfold quintile demonstrated 20.5%, 17.1%, 15.7%, 19.4%, and 18.1%, respectively, in groups of subjects by subscapular skinfold quintile from lowest to highest (p = 0.6 in trend test).
  
  
  
  Lower triceps skinfold at age 40-65, reflecting diminished peripheral fat, was associated with higher dementia prevalence in late life, potentially suggesting a protective role of peripheral fat to brain health.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry at Sheba Medical Center, Israel.|Sackler Faculty of Medicine at Tel Aviv University, Israel.
authors.forename: Ramit
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ravona-Springer
authors.affiliation: The Joseph Sagol Neuroscience Center at Sheba Medical Center, Israel.|Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.
authors.forename: Michal
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Schnaider-Beeri
authors.affiliation: Division of Epidemiology, and Neufeld Cardiac Research Institute, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Israel.
authors.forename: Uri
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Goldbourt
mesh_terms: D000273:Adipose Tissue / Q000473:pathology; D000368:Aged; D000886:Anthropometry; D001132:Arm / Q000294:innervation; D015992:Body Mass Index; D003704:Dementia / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000401:mortality; D015444:Exercise; D006801:Humans; D007557:Israel / Q000453:epidemiology; D007899:Leisure Activities; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000473:pathology*; D009765:Obesity / Q000178:diet therapy / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000401:mortality; D016017:Odds Ratio; D015995:Prevalence; D012782:Shoulder / Q000294:innervation; D012885:Skinfold Thickness; D012923:Social Class
keywords: Dementia prevalence; obesity; skinfold; triceps