Data from: Adiposity is related to cerebrovascular and brain volumetry outcomes in the RUN DMC Study

Objective: Adiposity predictors, body mass index (BMI), waist
circumference (WC), and blood leptin and total adiponectin levels were
associated with components of cerebral small vessel disease (CSVD) and
brain volumetry in 503 adults with CSVD age ≥50 years and enrolled in the
Radboud University Nijmegen Diffusion tensor and Magnetic resonance
imaging Cohort (RUN DMC). Methods: RUN DMC participants were followed for
9 years (2006-2015). BMI, WC, brain imaging and dementia diagnoses were
evaluated at baseline and follow-up. Adipokines were measured at baseline.
Brain imaging outcomes included CSVD components, white matter
hyperintensities, lacunes and microbleeds; and gray and white matter,
hippocampal, total brain, and intracranial volumes. Results:
Cross-sectionally among men at baseline, higher BMI, WC and leptin were
associated with lower gray matter and total brain volumes, and higher BMI
and WC were associated with lower hippocampal volume. At follow-up 9 years
later, higher BMI was cross-sectionally associated with lower gray matter
volume, and an obese WC (>102cm) was protective for >1
lacune or >1 microbleed in men. In women, increasing BMI and
overweight or obesity (BMI >25 kg/m2 or WC >88 cm) were
associated with >1 lacune. Longitudinally, over 9 years, a baseline
obese WC was associated with decreasing hippocampal volume particularly in
men, and increasing WMH volume in women and men. Conclusions:
Anthropometric and metabolic adiposity predictors were differentially
associated with CSVD component and brain volumetry outcomes by sex. Higher
adiposity is associated with a vascular-neurodegenerative spectrum among
adults at-risk for vascular forms of cognitive impairment and dementias.