Alzheimer’s Disease Research
April 12, 2011 by Dr. Marc Darrow, M.D.
Filed under Alzheimer's Disease
Insulin and Aging
A new study, to be published, says that high insulin levels, among both diabetics and non-diabetics, may contribute to Alzheimer’s disease.
To quote the authors of the study “Although this model has obvious relevance for diabetes mellitus, hyperinsulinemia and insulin resistance are widespread conditions that affect many nondiabetic adults with obesity, impaired glucose tolerance, cardiovascular disease, and hypertension. Our results provide a cautionary note for the current epidemic of such conditions, which, in the context of an aging population, may provoke a dramatic increase in the prevalence of AD (Alzheimer’s).”
You can read the entire article at the Journal of Neurology
Obesity and vascular risk factors at midlife and the risk of dementia and Alzheimer disease.
Kivipelto M, Ngandu T, Fratiglioni L, Viitanen M, Kareholt I, Winblad B, Helkala EL, Tuomilehto J, Soininen H, Nissinen A. Arch Neurol. 2005 Oct;62(10):1556-60.
From the abstract: “Obesity at midlife is associated with an increased risk of dementia and AD (Alzheimer’s Disease) later in life. Clustering of vascular risk factors increases the risk in an additive manner. The role of weight reduction for the prevention of dementia needs to be further investigated.”
Read the abstract
Brain Estrogen Deficiency and Alzheimer’s Disease
Writing in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (USA), researchers studied the effects of estrogen deficiency and Alzheimer’s Disease. They wrote: “Much evidence indicates that women have a higher risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease (AD) than do men. The reason for this gender difference is unclear. We hypothesize that estrogen deficiency in the brains of women with AD may be a key risk factor….Our results indicate that estrogen depletion in the brain may be a significant risk factor for developing AD neuropathology.”
Yue X, Lu M, Lancaster T, Cao P, Honda SI, Staufenbiel M, Harada N, Zhenyu Z, Shen Y, Rena Li R Brain estrogen deficiency accelerates Aβ plaque formation in an Alzheimer’s disease animal model Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 10.1073/pnas.0505203102
Melatonin and Alzheimer-like neurodegeneration
Writing in the medical journal Acta Pharmacologica Sinica, researchers studied the effect of melatonin and cognitive impairment. They wrote: “Alzheimer disease (AD), an age-related neurodegenerative disorder with progressive loss of memory and deterioration of comprehensive cognition, is characterized by extracellular senile plaques of aggregated beta-amyloid (Abeta), and intracellular neurofibrillary tangles that contain hyperphosphorylated tau protein. Recent studies showed that melatonin, an indoleamine secreted by the pineal gland, may play an important role in aging and AD as an antioxidant and neuroprotector. Melatonin decreases during aging and patients with AD have a more profound reduction in this hormone. Data from clinical trials indicate that melatonin supplementation improves sleep, ameliorates sundowning, and slows down the progression of cognitive impairment in Alzheimer patients.” Wang JZ, Wang ZF. Acta Pharmacol Sin. 2006 Jan;27(1):41-9.
Obesity and Alzheimer’s Disease
Researchers say that obesity can lead to higher risk of Alzheimer’s disease.
From the press release issued by Thomas Jefferson University Hospital: “A team led by researchers at the Farber Institute for Neurosciences at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia and Edith Cowan University in Joondalup, Western Australia has shown that being extremely overweight or obese increases the likelihood of developing Alzheimer’s. They found a strong correlation between body mass index and high levels of beta-amyloid, the sticky protein substance that builds up in the Alzheimer’s brain and is thought to play a major role in destroying nerve cells and in cognitive and behavioral problems associated with the disease.”
Exercise Delays Onset of Dementia and Alzheimer’s
Larson EB, Wang L, Bowen JD,McCormick WC, Teri L, Crane P, Kukull W. Exercise Is Associated with Reduced Risk for Incident Dementia among Persons 65 Years of Age and Older. Annals of Internal Medicine January 17, 2006 Volume 144 Issue 2 Pages 73-81.
A new study reports a reduced incidence rate of dementia for people who exercised 3 or more times a week compared with those who exercised fewer than 3 times per week.
Say the study authors: “We believe these findings may be useful if they are confirmed because Alzheimer disease is one of the most feared illnesses of aging and is frequently cited as a reason for not wanting to “get old”: People do not want to lose their independence and quality of life as a consequence of aging.”
They conclude: “These results suggest that regular exercise is associated with a delay in onset of dementia and Alzheimer disease, further supporting its value for elderly persons.”
Read the full article here at the Annals of Internal Medicine
Obesity and Alzheimer’s
Midlife Obesity Raises Risk of Alzheimer’s Disease Later
Researchers reporting at the American Academy of Neurology 58th Annual Meeting in San Diego this week say that midlife obesity raises the risk for Alzheimer’s. Read more
Testosterone, Alzheimer’s, Mood and Quality of Life
A study suggets that that testosterone replacement therapy improved overall quality of life in patients with Alzheimers Disease.
Brain Estrogen Deficiency and Alzheimer’s Disease
Writing in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (USA), researchers studied the effects of estrogen deficiency and Alzheimer’s Disease. They wrote: “Much evidence indicates that women have a higher risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease (AD) than do men. The reason for this gender difference is unclear. We hypothesize that estrogen deficiency in the brains of women with AD may be a key risk factor….Our results indicate that estrogen depletion in the brain may be a significant risk factor for developing AD neuropathology.”
Yue X, Lu M, Lancaster T, Cao P, Honda SI, Staufenbiel M, Harada N, Zhenyu Z, Shen Y, Rena Li R Brain estrogen deficiency accelerates Aβ plaque formation in an Alzheimer’s disease animal model Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 10.1073/pnas.0505203102
Melatonin and Alzheimer-like neurodegeneration
Writing in the medical journal Acta Pharmacologica Sinica, researchers studied the effect of melatonin and cognitive impairment. They wrote: “Alzheimer disease (AD), an age-related neurodegenerative disorder with progressive loss of memory and deterioration of comprehensive cognition, is characterized by extracellular senile plaques of aggregated beta-amyloid (Abeta), and intracellular neurofibrillary tangles that contain hyperphosphorylated tau protein. Recent studies showed that melatonin, an indoleamine secreted by the pineal gland, may play an important role in aging and AD as an antioxidant and neuroprotector. Melatonin decreases during aging and patients with AD have a more profound reduction in this hormone. Data from clinical trials indicate that melatonin supplementation improves sleep, ameliorates sundowning, and slows down the progression of cognitive impairment in Alzheimer patients.” Wang JZ, Wang ZF. Acta Pharmacol Sin. 2006 Jan;27(1):41-9.
Cortisol Concentrations Predict a Decline in Memory Function
Researchers writing in the medical journal Neurobiology of Aging say their “results partially confirm previous findings that high cortisol is associated with impaired declarative memory function in non-demented older persons. In addition, our data show that high salivary cortisol concentrations predict a decline in memory function over the next 3 years.” Read more
