New publications
Study shows impact of metabolic syndrome on brain volume and cognitive function
Last reviewed: 02.07.2025
All iLive content is medically reviewed or fact checked to ensure as much factual accuracy as possible.
We have strict sourcing guidelines and only link to reputable media sites, academic research institutions and, whenever possible, medically peer reviewed studies. Note that the numbers in parentheses ([1], [2], etc.) are clickable links to these studies.
If you feel that any of our content is inaccurate, out-of-date, or otherwise questionable, please select it and press Ctrl + Enter.
A study published in the journal Diabetes Care examined the relationship between metabolic syndrome (MetS) and cognitive and neuroimaging measures in adults without dementia.
Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a major public health problem characterized by vascular and cardiometabolic risk factors. MetS is diagnosed based on one of the following features:
- high blood pressure, glucose and triglyceride levels,
- reduced levels of high-density lipoproteins (HDL) and
- increased waist size.
The study focused on the relationship between MetS and cognitive and neuroimaging measures using data from the UK Biobank.
Between 2006 and 2010, participants underwent a physical examination and provided sociodemographic, environmental, health, and lifestyle data via questionnaires. Blood samples were collected to measure biomarkers.
Participants were invited to follow-up brain imaging studies. Cognitive tests were administered, including intelligence tests, task performance, number and symbol recall tasks, and learning tasks. Participants were classified into MetS and non-MetS controls.
MetS was defined based on the presence of at least three of five components: abdominal obesity, elevated blood pressure, elevated triglycerides, reduced HDL, and elevated fasting glucose.
The study included 37,395 participants, of whom 7,945 had MetS. The MetS group was more likely to be male, older, white, former smokers, less physically active, and have lower levels of education and income.
Key observations
- Brain volumes: MetS was associated with smaller gray matter, total brain, and hippocampal volumes, and increased white matter hyperintensities (WMH) volume. There was no significant association between white matter volume and MetS.
- Dose-dependent relationship: A dose-dependent relationship was observed between the amount of MetS components and several neuroimaging measures.
- Cognitive performance: Participants with MetS performed worse on cognitive tests. A dose-dependent relationship was found between the amount of MetS components and cognitive function.
- Age x Gender Interaction: Significant interactions of age with MetS and WMH volume were particularly evident in young adults. There were also significant interactions of gender with MetS and white matter, gray matter, and total brain volumes, particularly in males.
MetS was associated with higher vascular pathology, smaller brain volume, and worse cognitive function. The study’s results suggest a link between MetS and worse global brain health, rather than specific brain regions. Future studies should evaluate whether improving MetS can improve brain health.