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A Being Patient report connects research on deep abdominal fat with evidence that high blood pressure can harm brain blood vessels and is associated with Alzheimer’s risk. The studies do not establish that a visceral-fat measurement predicts dementia, and the report emphasizes blood pressure monitoring rather than trying to eliminate body fat.
Deep abdominal fat has been linked in research to high blood pressure, which can damage blood vessels in the brain, according to a Being Patient report exploring possible connections between visceral fat and brain health. The evidence does not show that a scan measuring belly fat can diagnose or predict Alzheimer’s disease; it points instead to blood pressure as a measurable health factor with relevance to vascular and cognitive health.
The report’s author, Being Patient founder and CEO Deborah Kan, describes paying about $50 for a DEXA scan that estimated her visceral fat at 0.41 pounds. The scan took about seven minutes, she wrote, and compared her result with roughly 27,000 people in her age group. Kan said she fell into the comparison group with the lowest visceral-fat levels. That result is an individual example, not evidence that a low reading prevents dementia or that running caused her measurement.
Kan distinguishes the scan from an MRI: a DEXA scan estimates visceral fat, while an MRI can show where fat is located. The report then describes a University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center study that followed 903 Dallas residents for seven years. Participants began with normal blood pressure, and researchers used imaging to assess fat distribution. About one-quarter developed high blood pressure. Body weight was associated with who developed it, but after researchers accounted for fat location, visceral fat was the type still associated with hypertension.
The report also cites a 2024 study of more than 31,000 older adults across 14 countries. Untreated high blood pressure was associated with a 42% higher chance of developing Alzheimer’s disease, according to the report’s summary. That association does not establish that visceral fat caused Alzheimer’s, or that reducing it would prevent the disease. The report says the elevated risk was not seen among participants whose blood pressure was controlled.
Blood Pressure Connects Fat and Brain Risk
The practical relevance is the possible chain between fat distribution, hypertension and brain blood vessels. High blood pressure can damage vessels that supply the brain, and vascular health is relevant to cognitive health. The studies described in the report make visceral fat a potential clue to hypertension risk, but do not establish it as a stand-alone measure of future brain health.
That distinction matters for readers considering home scales or paid body scans. A single estimated fat value cannot tell someone whether they will develop Alzheimer’s, and Kan’s personal result cannot show that her exercise routine explains it. The report’s clinical emphasis is more direct: high blood pressure often has no noticeable symptoms, so measuring it can identify a risk that might otherwise go unnoticed. Readers should discuss personal risk and health measurements with a qualified health professional.
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From Fat Distribution to Hypertension
Many routine measures describe overall body size without showing where fat is stored. The Dallas study highlighted in the report examined distribution using imaging and followed people who initially had normal blood pressure. Its finding that visceral fat remained associated with later hypertension after accounting for fat location suggests that where fat is carried may matter, though the study does not prove the fat itself caused the change.
The connection to dementia comes through separate evidence about blood pressure. Being Patient reporter Simon Spichak previously reported on research linking untreated hypertension with higher Alzheimer’s risk. Geriatrician Dr. Nate Chin, medical director of the Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center, told Kan that monitoring blood pressure is the best available window into brain health. He advised checking it a few times per week and keeping it in the normal range, which he described as below 120/80. That is his reported guidance, not a substitute for individualized medical advice.
“The most useful thing my $50 scan did was point me to a new measurement to monitor my health.”
— Deborah Kan, founder and CEO of Being Patient
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What a Fat Scan Cannot Establish
The report does not establish that visceral fat directly causes high blood pressure or Alzheimer’s disease. The Dallas findings describe an association, and the Alzheimer’s study links untreated hypertension with increased risk; neither result means that an individual’s fat measurement can forecast whether they will develop dementia. The studies also examined different groups and different outcomes.
It is also unclear how accurately consumer home scales estimate visceral fat, or how well Kan’s scan comparison group represents the wider population. She notes that people paying for body scans may be more health-conscious than average. The report says more research is needed to understand the relationship between fat around the kidneys and hypertension. It does not provide evidence that aiming for zero visceral fat is necessary or achievable.
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Monitoring Blood Pressure Over Time
The next step raised by the report is routine attention to blood pressure readings, rather than treating a DEXA result as a brain-health forecast. Kan says she plans to check her blood pressure several times a week. Readers concerned about high readings, visceral fat or dementia risk can ask a qualified health professional how to measure and interpret their results and what follow-up is appropriate.
Further research will be needed to clarify whether visceral fat contributes to hypertension, how kidney-area fat may affect blood pressure, and whether changes in fat distribution alter long-term cognitive outcomes. The report does not announce a new clinical guideline or a scheduled research milestone.
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Key Questions
Can a DEXA scan tell me whether I will develop Alzheimer’s?
No. The report describes DEXA as estimating visceral fat, not diagnosing or predicting Alzheimer’s disease. The cited studies do not validate a fat scan as a dementia test.
What did the Dallas study find?
Researchers followed 903 people for seven years; about one-quarter developed high blood pressure. After accounting for where fat was stored, visceral fat was the type still associated with developing hypertension. The finding is an association, not proof of cause.
How was high blood pressure linked to Alzheimer’s in the cited research?
The report says a 2024 study of more than 31,000 older adults in 14 countries linked untreated high blood pressure with a 42% higher chance of developing Alzheimer’s. The report also says that extra risk was not seen among people whose blood pressure was controlled. This does not show that visceral fat directly causes Alzheimer’s.
Should I try to eliminate visceral fat?
The report does not establish that zero visceral fat is necessary, achievable or a way to prevent dementia. It focuses on monitoring blood pressure and discussing personal health concerns with a qualified professional.
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