Exercise, Weight Loss Improves Cerebral Blood Flow

Long-term weight loss was associated with greater increases in cerebral blood flow (CBF) among participants with type 2 diabetes who were overweight or obese, according to a recent study.

The post-randomization assessment included 310 participants with type 2 diabetes who were overweight or obese at baseline and who participated in the Action for Health in Diabetes, a multicenter randomized controlled trial. Participants were randomly assigned to a multidomain intensive lifestyle intervention to increase physical activity and promote weight loss by reducing calorie intake (ILI) or to a diabetes support and education group (DES) for 8 to 11 years. Cognitive assessment and standardized brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) were used to assess CBF of participants at an average 10.4-years post-randomization.
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Overall, participants assigned to ILI averaged a -6.2% weight change and reported a mean 444.3 kcal/week average increase in moderate or intense physical activity from baseline to time of MRI compared with those assigned to DES (-2.8% weight change and mean increase of 114.8 kcal/week in physical activity).

The researchers found that the mean CBF was 6% higher among those assigned to ILI compared with DES, with the largest differences found in the limbic region and occipital lobes.

Among those in the ILI group, greater decreases in weight and increases in physical activity were associated with greater CBF. The relationship between composite measures of cognitive function scores and CBF varied between groups.

“Long-term weight loss intervention in overweight and obese adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus is associated with greater CBF,” the researchers concluded.

—Melissa Weiss

Reference:

Espeland MA, Luchsinger JA, Neiberg RH, et al. Long term effect of intensive lifestyle intervention on cerebral blood flow [published online October 30, 2017]. J Am Geriatr Soc. doi:10.1111/jgs.15159.