People who are obese and harbor deep belly fat are at higher risk for developing Alzheimer's disease-specific proteins in the brain up to 20 years before the earliest dementia symptoms, a new study suggests.

Researchers have linked a specific type of body fat to the abnormal proteins in the brain that are hallmarks of Alzheimer's disease up to 20 years before the earliest symptoms of dementia appear, according to a study being presented at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA).

Alzheimer’s disease could be detected up to 20 YEARS before dementia symptoms start to show following a major breakthrough. Researchers have linked a specific type of body fat that surrounds vital organs in middle age to abnormal proteins in the brain that are hallmarks of the most common cause of dementia as early as two decades before the earliest symptoms appear.