Usually when you think insulin dysfunction you think diabetes…not Alzheimer’s diseaseor dementia. Interestingly enough researchers have found a link between the two. As it turns out insulin may be linked to Alzheimer’s disease(AD) in more than one way. Below I will discuss the ways in which insulin resistance could be a risk factor leading to AD and
how diabetes ties in to the mix.
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What is insulin resistance?
First of all what is this so called condition of insulin resistance? It just means that the body produces insulin but for whatever reason the body cannot use it. Therefore the insulin is not doing all of its jobs that it’s supposed to do-most notably to help the body use glucose for energy. This leaves bloodstreams with elevated levels of insulin (hyperinsulinemia) and glucose(hyperglycemia). Insulin resistance can be caused by many interacting factors including excess weight, lack of exercise, and most importantly genetic make-up. For more information about insulin resistance please visit: http://diabetes.niddk.nih.gov/DM/pubs/insulinresistance/
How does this lead to Alzheimer’s disease?
Well the truth is we don’t exactly know yet. But from research that has been conducted so far we know that insulin resistance may be a strong indicator for people who are at the highest risk for becoming AD patients. Insulin is very important when it comes to cognitive function and aging. When insulin is being released but cannot be used by the body or brain, cell damage takes place. High abnormal levels of insulin can lead to increased risk of memory loss and brain cell degeneration such as AD. Over a long period of time the overabundant amount of insulin present in the brain becomes neurotoxic. This means that brain cells are being poisoned by these high levels of insulin. This can lead to the a poor functioning blood brain barrier (which plays a major role in brain protection) as well as insulin receptor dysfunction which ultimately puts people at high risk for AD.
Another important connection to make between insulin and AD is insulin’s relationship with the build-up of amyloid beta (Aβ) plaques. For you who are not familiar with Aβ plaques, they are formed by proteins that flock together and attach to brain cells and cause cell death. As of now Aβ plaques have been found in all AD patients. These plaques increase formation in the presence of high levels of insulin, which is initially caused by insulin resistance. The protein that breaks down these plaques is disrupted by high levels insulin and cannot do its job properly. So we get in large amount of plaques in the brain eventually resulting in AD or some type of dementia.
How can we prevent AD?
There are so many factors that lead to AD especially because insulin plays such a diverse role in the body’s metabolism. Genetics also plays a strong role in susceptibility and risk of AD. The best way reduce your risk, regardless of your genetic make up, is to stay active physically, mentally and socially while eating a healthy balanced diet. More healthy tips to reduce the risks of insulin resistance and can be found at: http://www.helpguide.org/elder/alzheimers_prevention_slowing_down_treatment.htm
