THURSDAY, July 25, 2024 (HealthDay News) -- Finding yourself packing on the pounds around your waist and arms? If so, you might be at heightened risk for neurological illnesses like Alzheimer's or Parkinson's, new research suggests.

There was one other physical characteristic that lowered the odds, however: muscle strength. Stronger folk appeared to have a lower odds for neurological illnesses compared to weaker people, reported a team of Chinese researchers.

“This study highlights the potential to lessen people’s risk of developing these diseases by improving their body composition," said study lead author Dr. Huan Song, of Sichuan University in Chengdu.

"Targeted interventions to reduce trunk and arm fat while promoting healthy muscle development may be more effective for protection against these diseases than general weight control," she added.

The findings were published July 24 in the journal Neurology.

Over a nine-year span, the researchers tracked the health and body characteristics of almost 413,000 British people who averaged 56 years of age when they entered the study.

Song's group measured each person's waist and hip, tested their hand-grip strength, their bone density and their fat and lean mass.  

Over the nine years, 8,224 people did go on to develop neurodegenerative diseases, typically Alzheimer’s disease, other forms of dementia or Parkinson’s.

After adjusting for other health risk factors that can affect the brain -- things like high blood pressure, smoking, drinking and diabetes -- the researchers found that folks with relatively high levels of belly fat were 13% more prone to a neurodegenerative illness.

High levels of arm fat were linked to an 18% higher odds for these conditions, compared to people with slimmer arms, the team found.

On the other hand, people who had relatively good muscle conditioning were 26% less likely to develop diseases like Alzheimer's or Parkinson's, the research showed.

According to Song's group, higher fat levels in the arms and belly also appeared linked to the development of heart disease and stroke, which in turn can harm the brain.

“This underscores the importance of managing these cardiovascular diseases right away to help prevent or delay the development of Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s or other degenerative diseases,” Song said in a journal news release.

More information

There's more on fitness and brain health at the Cleveland Clinic.

SOURCE: Neurology, news release, July 24, 2024