Association between Visceral Adiposity and Cognitive Function: A Cross-Sectional Analysis

Abstract

Background: Visceral adiposity has been increasingly recognized as a metabolically active fat depot linked to systemic inflammation and vascular dysfunctionfactors that may contribute to cognitive decline. However, evidence on its direct association with specific cognitive domains remains limited.

Objective: To examine the relationship between visceral adiposity and cognitive performance across key domains, including attention, perception, executive function, and working memory.

Methods: In this cross-sectional study, visceral adiposity was assessed using standardized anthropometric and body composition measures. Cognitive performance was evaluated through a series of validated online tasks assessing attentional, perceptual, executive, and working memory functions. Statistical analysis included calculation of mean values and standard deviations, and group comparisons were performed using an unpaired t-test.

Results: Higher levels of visceral adiposity were associated with significantly lower performance in multiple cognitive domains. Participants with greater visceral fat demonstrated reduced attentional accuracy, slower perceptual processing, and poorer executive functioning and working memory scores (p < 0.05).

Conclusion: The findings suggest a significant inverse association between visceral adiposity and cognitive performance. These results highlight the potential impact of excess visceral fat on cognitive health and underscore the importance of early lifestyle interventions aimed at reducing visceral adiposity to preserve cognitive function.