If you notice a senior you love losing weight for no specific reason, you may want to get him or her checked out for Alzheimer's, according to a study of more than 800 healthy Catholic clergy.

Based on a body mass index (BMI) taken on each patient at the beginning of the study, those who lost one unit of weight (in relation to their BMI) a year elevated their odds of developing Alzheimer's by 35 percent.

Those who lost the most weight had the highest risk of succumbing to Alzheimer's. (This weight loss may also happen years before noticeable memory loss begins, based on earlier research.)

Here's the kicker: Because the Catholic clergy didn't cook their own meals, damage to the portion of the brain that regulates body weight could be a reason some patients are more prone to memory loss than others, another tell-tale sign the Alzheimer's epidemic may be larger than many experts believe.

The most important things you need to understand about Alzheimer's: It's not a normal part of aging and there are safe and healthy measures you can follow to blow it away inexpensively.

Neurology, Vol. 65, No. 6, September 27, 2005: 892-897

USA Today September 27, 2005