Obesity could lead to Alzheimer’s

People who are overweight or obese are more at risk from developing the degenerative brain disease Alzheimer’s, a new study has claimed.

US and Australian researchers say they have found a link between body mass index (BMI) and high levels of beta-amyloid, the sticky protein which builds up on the brain of Alzheimer’s sufferers.

The protein is thought to play a major part in the destruction of nerve cells in the brain and is linked to the behavioural and memory problems associated with the disease.

Alzheimer’s is a form of dementia which affects the brain’s memory function. It causes impaired memory followed by diminished thought and speech. The exact cause of the disease is not yet known.

However, the research team – from Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia and the Edith Cowan University in Western Australia – say that being obese “almost certainly” increases risk from Alzheimer’s.

Dr Sam E Gandy, co-author of the study, which appears in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease, said: “We looked at the levels of beta-amyloid and found a relationship between obesity and circulating amyloid.

“That’s almost certainly why the risk for Alzheimer’s is increased.

“Heightened levels of amyloid in the blood vessels and the brain indicate the start of the Alzheimer’s process.”

Dr Gandy and his colleagues measured body mass index and beta-amyloid levels in the blood. They also looked at several other factors associated with obesity including heart disease and diabetes in 18 healthy – but obese – adults.

They found a “statistically significant correlation” between BMI and beta-amyloid levels.

Previous studies have shown that many conditions associated with obesity increase risk from Alzheimer’s but this is the first time that researchers have been able to pinpoint how obesity and its related illnesses are linked to Alzheimer’s.

Dr Gandy says the next step is to follow people with obesity and see if, over time, they develop Alzheimer’s. He said it was also important to develop medication to fight the harmful beta-amyloid brain plaques which seem to be responsible for many of the characteristics of Alzheimer’s disease.

© Adfero Ltd