Maternal obesity predisposes baby to Alzheimer’s

Maternal obesity causes cellular programming in utero that predisposes offspring to inflammation-related disorders, such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, type 2 diabetes, stroke, heart disease, from the day that they are born, say Duke University researchers.

Duke researchers reported the finding in the FASEB Journal.

The study was based on rats.

“We hope these data will eventually lead to treatments for obesity-associated problems, by the identification of novel targets within the immune system,” said Staci D. Bilbo, Ph.D., co-author of the study, from the Department of Psychology and Neuroscience at Duke University in Durham, N.C. “Our hope is also that these data will lead people to consider the consequences of their dietary intakes not only for their own health, but also for their children;s health, and potentially even their grand children’s health.”