Association between dynapenic abdominal obesity and mild cognitive impairment among middle-aged and older community-dwelling adults

TL;DR

This study finds that dynapenic abdominal obesity is linked to mild cognitive impairment in middle-aged adults across six low- and middle-income countries.

Contribution

The study provides new evidence on the association between dynapenic abdominal obesity and cognitive decline in a large, diverse, community-based sample.

Findings

DAO was significantly associated with MCI in middle-aged individuals (50–64 years) but not in older adults (≥65 years).

Dynapenia alone was linked to MCI in both age groups, while abdominal obesity alone showed no significant association.

The study highlights the need for longitudinal research to determine causal relationships.

Abstract

Dynapenic abdominal obesity (DAO) may potentially increase risk for mild cognitive impairment (MCI), but data is scarce, and community-based studies are lacking. Thus, we aimed to investigate the association between DAO and MCI in a large nationally representative community-based sample from six LMICs (China, Ghana, India, Mexico, Russia, South Africa).

We analyzed cross-sectional data from the Study on Global Ageing and Adult Health. Dynapenia was defined as handgrip strength of < 26 kg for men and < 16 kg for women. Abdominal obesity was defined as waist circumference of > 88 cm for women and > 102 cm for men. DAO was defined as having both dynapenia and abdominal obesity. The National Institute on Ageing-Alzheimer’s Association criteria were used to define MCI. Multivariable logistic regression was performed.

Data on 32,715 individuals aged ≥ 50 years were analyzed [mean (SD) age 62.1 (15.6) years; 48.3% males]. Among those aged 50–64 years, dynapenia alone and DAO were significantly associated with MCI with the OR for DAO (OR = 1.79; 95%CI = 1.26–2.56) being higher than that of dynapenia alone (OR = 1.40; 95%CI = 1.15–1.71). In those aged ≥ 65 years, only dynapenia alone (OR = 1.53; 95%CI = 1.23–1.89) was significantly associated with MCI but not DAO. Abdominal obesity alone was not significantly associated with MCI in both age groups.

Among community-dwellers in six LMICs, DAO was significantly associated with MCI among middle-aged individuals, but not among older people. However, it is important to note that the study was cross-sectional in nature, and thus, it is not known whether DAO leads to MCI or vice versa. Therefore, future longitudinal studies are necessary to clarify temporal associations and possible causality.

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s40520-025-03135-z.

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