Interactive Relations of Body Mass Index, Cardiorespiratory Fitness, and Sex to Cognitive Function in Older Adults

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https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11504700/

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https://doi.org/10.1093/arclin/acae018
 http://hdl.handle.net/11603/40376

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UMBC Psychology Department

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2024-03-14

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journal articles
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Citation of Original Publication

Turnquist, B Eric, Peter H MacIver, Leslie I Katzel, and Shari R Waldstein. “Interactive Relations of Body Mass Index, Cardiorespiratory Fitness, and Sex to Cognitive Function in Older Adults.” Archives of Clinical Neuropsychology 39, no. 7 (2024): 787–99. https://doi.org/10.1093/arclin/acae018.

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Abstract

Objective The course of cognitive aging is influenced by multiple health factors. This cross-sectional study investigated the interactive relations between body mass index (BMI), maximum oxygen consumption (VO₂max), and sex on neuropsychological outcomes in community-dwelling predominantly older adults. Methods Participants were 164 healthy adults [M (SD) = 64.6 (12.5) years, 56% men, 87% white] who participated in an investigation of cardiovascular risk factors and brain health. Multivariable regression analysis, adjusted for age, education, ethnicity, smoking, alcohol consumption, and depression, examined the interactive relations of BMI, VO₂max, and sex to multiple neuropsychological outcomes. Results Significant BMI*VO₂max*sex interactions for Grooved Pegboard dominant (p = .019) and nondominant (p = .005) hands revealed that men with lower VO₂max (l/min) displayed worse performance with each hand as BMI increased (p’s < .02). A significant BMI*sex interaction for Logical Memory—Delayed Recall (p = .036) (after adjustment for blood glucose) showed that men, but not women, with higher BMI demonstrated worse performance (p = .036). Lastly, significant main effects indicated that lower VO₂max was related to poorer logical memory, and higher BMI was associated with poorer Trail Making B and Stroop interference scores (p’s < .05). Conclusions Among men, higher cardiorespiratory fitness may protect against the negative impact of greater BMI on manual dexterity and motor speed, making VO₂max a target for intervention. Higher BMI is further associated with poorer executive function and verbal memory (in men), and lower VO2max is associated with poorer verbal memory.