One in four adults has metabolic syndrome – and it may be ageing their brains

An estimated one in four adults worldwide has metabolic syndrome.
Metabolic syndrome is a cluster of risk factors, including high blood sugar, high blood pressure, excess belly fat, low HDL cholesterol, and high triglycerides.
Previous research linked metabolic syndrome to neurological disorders like stroke, dementia, and Parkinson’s disease.
A new study using MRI scans found that people with metabolic syndrome have brains that appear significantly older than their chronological age.
The presence of each metabolic syndrome component led to greater brain ageing, indicating the severity of brain ageing increases with more components present.
Three metabolites linked to metabolic syndrome partially explain its impact on brain ageing: chronic inflammation, atherosclerosis markers, and fatty acids.
Lifestyle changes like regular exercise, a healthy diet, and quality sleep can mitigate the effects of metabolic syndrome on brain ageing.