The obesity-brain axis: a comprehensive review of neurological complications and therapeutic interventions in metabolic syndrome

Table 2 Summary of Obesity-Associated Neurological Disorders

Neurological Condition	Strength of Association	Key Findings	Age Related Patterns
Cognitive Impairment	Strong	Positive correlation in young/middle-aged adults	Paradoxical in elderly
Alzheimer’s Disease	Strong	Midlife BMI increases risk	Late-life high BMI may be protective
Parkinson’s Disease	Weak/Conflicting	Inconsistent findings; underweight increases risk	Variable
Multiple Sclerosis	Strong	Higher relapse rates, disability progression, reduced treatment response	Consistent across ages
Ischemic Stroke	Strong	7–37% increased risk; younger age at onset	Consistent across ages
Epilepsy	Moderate	Affects drug response and seizure control	Consistent across ages
Chronic Migraine	Strong	5-fold increased risk with obesity	Consistent across ages
IIH	Very Strong	Major risk factor; weight loss is curative	Consistent across ages
Peripheral Neuropathies	Moderate to Strong	CTS, Bell’s palsy, GBS, meralgia paresthetica	Consistent across ages