Does your brain age match your chronological age?

As you age, you gradually lose muscle mass and gain visceral body fat, a type of fat deep inside your body that surrounds your heart, kidneys and other organs. Now, scientists say the ratio of visceral fat to muscle can uncover clues about your brain health.

People with higher muscle mass and a lower visceral fat-to-muscle ratio tend to have younger brains, according to research being presented next week at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America.

“We know that the age of a person, in terms of their appearance, might not match with their chronological age,” said senior study author Dr. Cyrus Raji. “Turns out, the age of their organs might not match their chronological age either.”

One reason the findings are so important is because chronological age — and there