Home › Research › Prevention and risk
Low cerebral blood flow is associated with lower memory function in metabolic syndrome
Birdsill AC, Carlsson CM, Willette AA, Okonkwo OC, Johnson SC, Xu G, Oh JM, Gallagher CL et al.. Obesity (Silver Spring, Md.), 2013-05-19
Topic: Brain proteins, microglia and lab models
Background Metabolic syndrome (MetS)--a cluster of cardiovascular risk factors--is linked with cognitive decline and dementia. However, the brain changes underlying this link are presently unknown. In this study, we tested the relationship between MetS, cerebral blood flow (CBF), white matter hyperintensity burden, and gray matter (GM) volume in cognitively healthy late middle-aged adults. Additionally, the extent to which MetS was associated with cognitive performance was assessed. Design and methods Late middle-aged adults from the Wisconsin Registry for Alzheimer's Prevention (N = 69, mean age = 60.4 years) underwent a fasting blood draw, arterial spin labeling perfusion MRI, T1-weighted MRI, T2FLAIR MRI, and neuropsychological testing. MetS was defined as abnormalities on three or more factors, including abdominal obesity, triglycerides, HDL-cholesterol, blood pressure, and fasting glucose. Results Mean GM CBF was 15% lower in MetS compared to controls. Voxel-wise image analysis indicated that the MetS group had lower CBF across a large portion of the cortical surface, with the exception of medial and inferior parts of the occipital and temporal lobes. The MetS group also had lower immediate memory function; a mediation analysis indicated this relationship was partially mediated by CBF. Among the MetS factors, abdominal obesity and elevated triglycerides were most strongly associated with lower CBF. Conclusions The results underscore the importance of reducing the number of cardiovascular risk factors for maintaining CBF and cognition in an aging population.
Key findings
- Additionally, the extent to which MetS was associated with cognitive performance was assessed.
- Results Mean GM CBF was 15% lower in MetS compared to controls.
- Voxel-wise image analysis indicated that the MetS group had lower CBF across a large portion of the cortical surface, with the exception of medial and inferior parts of the occipital and temporal lobes.
- Among the MetS factors, abdominal obesity and elevated triglycerides were most strongly associated with lower CBF.
- Conclusions The results underscore the importance of reducing the number of cardiovascular risk factors for maintaining CBF and cognition in an aging population.
Why it matters
In 69 cognitively healthy late middle-aged adults, those with metabolic syndrome had about 15% lower gray matter cerebral blood flow and lower immediate memory, with blood flow partly explaining the memory difference. This is an observational study, so it does not show that treating metabolic syndrome prevents memory decline or dementia.
New to this subject? Start with our plain-English guide: Prevention →
Study details
- Participants69
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 51/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal. Scored zero for study design, effect reported and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Obesity (Silver Spring, Md.)) |
| Journal's citation record | 2 / 4 | Obesity: journal h-index 231 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 0 / 12 | No study design recorded — scores zero, not guessed (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Strength of evidence | 1 / 5 | Rated “low” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 1 / 5 | 2013 — within 20 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 1 / 4 | 69 participants |
| Effect reported | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Studied in people | 3 / 3 | Studied in people (participant count stated) |
| Randomised / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomisation or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | 5 / 7 | Cited 140 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 3 / 5 | 9.3 citations a year over 15 year(s) since 2013 |
| Impact for its field and year | 3 / 6 | Cited 6.4× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 2 / 6 | Cited by 5 other studies in this library |
| Still being cited | 2 / 4 | Cited 22 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 3 / 4 | Last-listed author Barbara B. Bendlin: h-index 64 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 2 / 3 | University of Wisconsin–Madison: institution h-index 1,518 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 2 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 4 institution(s) in 1 country |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 23687103) |
| Free to read | 2 / 2 | Free to read |
| Total | 51 / 100 | — |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
Read the original
Full text: free to read — OpenAlex lists this copy as free to read: the link above (checked 6 Feb 1020).
Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
Built from the record alzhub holds for this paper, not looked up. Volume, issue and page numbers are not held in the record. The record's author list ends in “et al.”, so not every author is named. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
APA 7th
Birdsill, A. C., Carlsson, C. M., Willette, A. A., Okonkwo, O. C., Johnson, S. C., Xu, G., et al. (2013). Low cerebral blood flow is associated with lower memory function in metabolic syndrome. Obesity (Silver Spring, Md.). https://doi.org/10.1002/oby.20170
Vancouver
Birdsill AC, Carlsson CM, Willette AA, Okonkwo OC, Johnson SC, Xu G, et al. Low cerebral blood flow is associated with lower memory function in metabolic syndrome. Obesity (Silver Spring, Md.). 2013. doi:10.1002/oby.20170. PMID: 23687103.
BibTeX
@article{birdsill2013-23687103,
author = {Birdsill, A. C. and Carlsson, C. M. and Willette, A. A. and Okonkwo, O. C. and Johnson, S. C. and Xu, G. and Oh, J. M. and Gallagher, C. L. and others},
title = {{Low cerebral blood flow is associated with lower memory function in metabolic syndrome}},
journal = {Obesity (Silver Spring, Md.)},
year = {2013},
doi = {10.1002/oby.20170},
pmid = {23687103},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1002/oby.20170}
}
Studies this one cites
Referenced by this study and also in the alzhub library, so you can read them here.
Later studies that cite this one
5 studies in the alzhub library list this one in their references.