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"These findings suggest that subtle, unexplained body mass and weight loss in an older person may be an early sign of AD and can precede the development of obvious memory problems," explains Bennett, who directs the Rush Alzheimer's Disease Center. "The most likely explanation is that there is something about these individuals or about this disease that affects BMI before the clinical syndrome becomes apparent--that loss of BMI reflects the disease process itself."

"Our understanding of Alzheimer's disease is changing as we get more information, particularly as we look at the pathology of the disease," adds Buchman, the lead investigator for the study. "It turns out that Alzheimer's disease not only results in cognitive dysfunction, but also may have a variety of other symptoms, depending on which brain regions are affected. If the disease pathology affects a region of the brain that controls weight, your body mass may decline prior to loss of cognition."

Based on the Religious Orders Study findings and other evidence, the researchers suggest that loss of body mass could be added to the "relatively short list" of signs doctors can use to predict a person's risk of developing AD.

"There are actually very few predictors of Alzheimer's disease," Bennett explains. "This study makes us think about the spectrum of clinical signs of AD beyond changes in memory and behavior and motor skills. Changes in BMI are easy to measure in a doctor's office without an expensive scan," he says.

Bennett and colleagues acknowledge that the study participants were limited to Catholic clergy living in communal settings and recommend replication of the research with more diverse groups of people. They also note that the group's homogeneity strengthened their research because they knew that all of the participants had access to ample, nutritious food. The authors are indebted to t
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Contact: Vicky Cahan
cahanv@nia.nih.gov
301-496-1752
NIH/National Institute on Aging
26-Sep-2005