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Obesity’s cognitive consequences: leptin’s influence on dementia
Abstract
Dementia is characterized by progressive cognitive decline and is increasingly associated with obesity. Obesity is identified by a number of pathological features, including excess fat accumulation, insulin resistance, gut dysbiosis, oxidative stress, inflammatory activation and systemic inflammation. These pathological factors trigger neuroinflammation and brain damage, making the complex relationship between metabolic health and cognitive function more salient. The amount of leptin in the bloodstream is correlated with the proportion of body fat and regulates cognitive processes as well as metabolic functions through its effects on the central nervous system. However, obesity can lead to leptin resistance, which may contribute to the development of neurodegenerative disorders such as dementia by impairing leptin’s ability to maintain cognitive functions. This article discusses the gut-brain axis as a critical mediator of the effects of obesity on cognitive health and highlights the impact of gut dysbiosis on cognitive decline as a result of neuroinflammation. Obesity-specific systemic inflammation exacerbates neurodegeneration, increasing the need for integrated approaches to manage obesity and its cognitive repercussions. Addressing the pathological features of obesity by optimizing leptin signaling may offer promising strategies to prevent or slow the progression of cognitive decline associated with obesity and metabolic syndrome.

Keywords : Obesity, dementia, cognitive decline, leptin

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Article available in :
Volume 7, Issue 3, 2024
Page : 346-351
https://doi.org/10.32322/jhsm.1462938
Article Information
Received : 01 Nis 2024
Accepted : 15 May 2024
Published : 27 May 2024
Corresponding Author :

Enes Kara: Sakarya University, Vocational School of Health Care Services, Department of Therapy and Rehabilitation, Physiotherapy Program, Sakarya, Turkey

[email protected]
Citation : Kara E, Işıklı Ş. Obesity’s cognitive consequences: leptin’s influence on dementia. J Health Sci Med. 2024;7(3):346-351.

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