Evaluating the Role of Visceral Adiposity in Neurological Disorders: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Authors

• Layan A. Aldeaiji, College of Medicine, Qassim University, Qassim, Saudi Arabia
• Atheer G. Almutairi, College of Medicine, Qassim University, Qassim, Saudi ArabiaFollow
• Latifh M. Alharbi, College of Medicine, Qassim University, Qassim, Saudi Arabia
• Khalid M. Alsulaim, College of Medicine, Qassim University, Qassim, Saudi Arabia
• Emtenan E. AlShalahi, College of Medicine, Qassim University, Qassim, Saudi Arabia
• Yara K. Alghamdi, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
• Norah A. Alhamdan, Neurology Assistant Professor, College of Medicine, Qassim University, Qassim, Saudi Arabia

Abstract

Background: Neurological disorders represent a major global health challenge. According to recent Global Burden of Disease (GBD) estimates, Alzheimer's disease and other dementias, Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis, epilepsy, and headache disorders together account for nearly 3% of the worldwide disease burden. While visceral adipose tissue has traditionally been viewed as a metabolic concern, emerging evidence highlights visceral adiposity as an independent risk factor and potential contributor to the pathogenesis and progression of several neurological disorders.
Materials and methods: This systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted in accordance with PRISMA guidelines to evaluate the association between visceral adiposity and neurological disorders. The protocol was registered in PROSPERO (CRD420251083846). A comprehensive search of PubMed, the Cochrane Library, and Web of Science was performed in June 2025. Eligibility criteria were defined using the PICOS framework. Methodological quality was assessed using the Newcastle–Ottawa Scale (NOS), adapted for cross-sectional designs where applicable. Adjusted effect estimates were pooled using a random-effects model.
Results: A total of 26 studies involving 1, 059, 075 participants were included; approximately 96% of participants were female, largely because of one nationwide female-only cohort, and mean ages ranged from 44.5 to 78.3 years. Twenty-three studies (88.5%) reported at least one adverse association between greater visceral or central adiposity and poorer neurological or cognitive outcomes.
The meta-analysis of 12 studies showed that elevated visceral adiposity was associated with a 48% higher likelihood of adverse neurological outcomes (pooled effect estimate [OR/HR] = 1.48, 95% CI: 1.27–1.72, p < 0.001; I² = 83%). Significant associations were observed for stroke-related outcomes (OR = 1.41, 95% CI: 1.15–1.74), young-onset dementia (HR = 1.55, 95% CI: 1.34–1.79), and migraine (OR = 1.41, 95% CI: 1.05–1.88), whereas the pooled estimate for subclinical cerebrovascular imaging findings was elevated but imprecise (OR = 3.49, 95% CI: 0.64–19.10).
Conclusion: Elevated visceral adiposity is associated with a higher risk of stroke-related outcomes, dementia, migraine, and adverse brain imaging findings. Given the substantial heterogeneity and the predominance of cross-sectional data, these findings should be confirmed in prospective studies using standardized measures of visceral fat; nevertheless, they support the incorporation of visceral fat assessment into neurological disease prevention strategies.

Article Type

Systematic Review

First Page

336

Last Page

358

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License

Recommended Citation

Aldeaiji, Layan A.; Almutairi, Atheer G.; Alharbi, Latifh M.; Alsulaim, Khalid M.; AlShalahi, Emtenan E.; Alghamdi, Yara K.; and Alhamdan, Norah A. (2026) "Evaluating the Role of Visceral Adiposity in Neurological Disorders: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis," Neurosciences: Vol. 31: Iss. 4, Article 2.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.17712/1658-3183.2814