Metabolic Abnormalities Such as Obesity, High Blood Pressure Linked to Faster Cognitive Decline

People who are obese and have high blood pressure or other risk factors, called metabolic abnormalities, may experience a faster decline in cognitive skills over time than others – that’s according to a study published in the Aug. 21, 2012, print issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

Metabolic abnormality is defined as having two or more of the following risk factors: high blood pressure or taking medication for it, low HDL or “good” cholesterol, high blood sugar or taking diabetes medication, and high triglycerides (a type of fat found in the blood) or taking medication to lower cholesterol. For more information, click here to read the full release.