A new study in America has put forward the theory that Alzheimer’s could in fact be a form of diabetes. The sensational claim comes after research revealed that insulin production within the brain declines proportionally to the advance of Alzheimer’s.
The fact that the brain produces insulin has only recently become known. The study revealed that brain insulin and related receptors drop dangerously during early stages of Alzheimer’s disease. Insulin then continues to drop as the disease worsens. Both of these factors indicate the quality of the links between Alzheimer’s and diabetes.
The report, to be published in the Journal of Alzheimer’s disease, was carried out by a team of researchers from Brown University Medical School. The study autopsied brain tissue from 45 cadavers who during their lives suffered from varying degrees of Alzheimer’s, and compared them with healthy brain tissue.
Advanced Alzheimer’s, the higher end of the ‘Braak’ stages of the disease, features characteristics such as brain tangles. The Brown team worked on tissue from the frontal cortex of the brain.
Senior researcher Suzanne M de la Monte further stated that ‘this work ties several concepts together and demonstrates that Alzheimer's disease is quite possibly a Type 3 diabetes.’ Early hopes for a new approach to slowing the onset of Alzheimer’s could perhaps be validated.
Diabetes and Alzheimers link
Thu, 01 Dec 2005
