Association of traditional and novel measures of central obesity with cognitive performance in older multi‐ethnic Asians with type 2 diabetes

Literature evaluating the relationship between central obesity and cognitive deficits in type 2 diabetes (T2DM) remains scarce. This cross-sectional analysis explored the association of novel and traditional central obesity measures with cognitive performance in older (aged ≥60 years) non-demented multi-ethnic Asians with T2DM, including a stratified analysis by body mass index (BMI). Cognitive function was assessed using the Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status. Central obesity measures including visceral fat area (VFA), waist circumference, waist:hip ratio, waist:height ratio, abdominal volume index, body roundness index and conicity index were measured and/or computed. In our cohort (N = 677; mean age = 67 ± 5 years, 51.7% men), VFA emerged as an associate of overall cognitive performance after covariate adjustment and Bonferroni correction (β = -.10, 95% CI = -0.18, -0.03), outperforming the other adiposity indices. Specifically, VFA was inversely associated with delayed memory and language scores. Additionally, compared with normal-weight individuals, excess visceral obesity (VFA ≥100 cm2 ) was independently associated with lower cognitive scores to a greater extent in normal BMI (<23 kg/m2 ) adults than in those with high BMI (≥23 kg/m2 ). Assessment and management of visceral adiposity may help to prevent cognitive decline in older people with T2DM, and reduce the global burden of dementia in ageing populations.