As the population is aging, more number of people will be diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. There are around 5 million people in America living with this disease, and the number is expected to more than double by 2050, unless a medical breakthrough takes place.

The research has found a relationship between obesity, age and dementia. The research paper published in the Molecular Psychiatry has unveiled that among elderly with the disease, those who are overweight at the age of 50 have more chances of developing the condition earlier.

In the research, nearly 1,400 cognitively normal individuals were followed for 14 years. The researchers said that little more than 10% developed the condition that causes severe memory loss, disability and death.

The researchers also said that higher BMI at the age of 50 was linked to earlier onset of Alzheimer’s. Every unit increase in BMI at the age of 50 was linked with the appearance of Alzheimer’s symptoms 6.7 months earlier.

Among the group of Alzheimer’s patients, those were obese, having a BMI of 30, in middle age have witnessed rise in dementia risk about a year ago than someone who midlife BMI was 28, an overweight range.

“Maintaining a healthy body mass index even as early as in midlife may have long-lasting protective effects in delaying the onset of Alzheimer’s disease even decades later”, said the researchers.