Brain and Cardiometabolic Effects of Major Weight Loss in People With Obesity: Preliminary Cohort Findings
5 affiliations
- 1Department of Psychiatry New York University Grossman School of Medicine New York New York USA
- 2Department of Clinical Research Nathan S. Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research New York New York USA
- 3Department of Bariatric Surgery New York University Langone Health New York New York USA
- 4Department of Radiology New York University Grossman School of Medicine New York New York USA
- 5Nathan S. Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research Center for Dementia Research New York New York USA
Abstract
Objective: Given the overlap between obesity‐related metabolic and vascular abnormalities and Alzheimer's disease (AD) risk factors, it is critical to determine whether weight loss improves brain and cardiovascular health. This study examined whether ≥ 40% excess‐weight loss is associated with improvements in cardiometabolic risk, brain structure, and cognition.
Methods: The study was a longitudinal study of individuals with obesity undergoing metabolic and bariatric surgery or medical/behavioral weight‐loss treatment. Participants were classified at follow‐up as weight‐loss (WL; ≥ 40% excess‐weight loss) or non‐weight‐loss (nWL; < 40%). All completed medical evaluations, structural MRI, and cognitive testing at baseline and 1 year.
Results: At 1 year, the WL group exhibited improvements in BMI, HbA1C, inflammatory, metabolic, and lipid profiles. MRI‐based volumetrics revealed increases in subcortical gray‐matter volume and preservation of AD‐vulnerable regions. Cognitive performance remained unchanged.
Conclusions: Achieving ≥ 40% excess‐weight loss was associated with improvements in metabolic health and brain structure, including favorable subcortical volume increases. These findings underscore the potential of sustained weight reduction to mitigate risks linked to metabolic syndromes and neurodegeneration. Longer‐term follow‐up is warranted to determine whether continued metabolic improvements lead to detectable cognitive gains and additional brain‐health benefits beyond 1 year.
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BibTeX
@article{gaggi2026brain,
title = {{Brain and Cardiometabolic Effects of Major Weight Loss in People With Obesity: Preliminary Cohort Findings}},
author = {Naomi L. Gaggi and Brian Hurwitz and Jennifer Bernal and Courtney O'Brien and Christine Ren‐Fielding and Holly Lofton and Jenny Chen and Aviezer Saperstein and Sang Han Lee and Yun‐Juan Chang and Kathy F. Yates and Els Fieremans and Ricardo Osorio and Antonio Convit},
journal = {Obesity science \& practice},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1002/osp4.70191},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/PMC/PMC13720752},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Brain and Cardiometabolic Effects of Major Weight Loss in People With Obesity: Preliminary Cohort Findings
AU - Naomi L. Gaggi
AU - Brian Hurwitz
AU - Jennifer Bernal
AU - Courtney O'Brien
AU - Christine Ren‐Fielding
AU - Holly Lofton
AU - Jenny Chen
AU - Aviezer Saperstein
AU - Sang Han Lee
AU - Yun‐Juan Chang
AU - Kathy F. Yates
AU - Els Fieremans
AU - Ricardo Osorio
AU - Antonio Convit
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/30
JO - Obesity science & practice
DO - 10.1002/osp4.70191
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/PMC/PMC13720752
AB - Objective: Given the overlap between obesity‐related metabolic and vascular abnormalities and Alzheimer's disease (AD) risk factors, it is critical to determine whether weight loss improves brain and cardiovascular health. This study examined whether ≥ 40% excess‐weight loss is associated with improvements in cardiometabolic risk, brain structure, and cognition. Methods: The study was a longitudinal study of individuals with obesity undergoing metabolic and bariatric surgery or medical/behavioral weight‐loss treatment. Participants were classified at follow‐up as weight‐loss (WL; ≥ 40% excess‐weight loss) or non‐weight‐loss (nWL; < 40%). All completed medical evaluations, structural MRI, and cognitive testing at baseline and 1 year. Results: At 1 year, the WL group exhibited improvements in BMI, HbA1C, inflammatory, metabolic, and lipid profiles. MRI‐based volumetrics revealed increases in subcortical gray‐matter volume and preservation of AD‐vulnerable regions. Cognitive performance remained unchanged. Conclusions: Achieving ≥ 40% excess‐weight loss was associated with improvements in metabolic health and brain structure, including favorable subcortical volume increases. These findings underscore the potential of sustained weight reduction to mitigate risks linked to metabolic syndromes and neurodegeneration. Longer‐term follow‐up is warranted to determine whether continued metabolic improvements lead to detectable cognitive gains and additional brain‐health benefits beyond 1 year.
SN - 2055-2238
ER -