February 04, 2009
Alzheimer's linked to insulin
My Dad's been coping remarkably well for more than 50 years with a rare case of juvenile-onset diabetes, acquired as an adult while serving in the Korean War. I grew up watching Dad inject himself several times a day with insulin -- and brought him sweets when he had an insulin reaction. So you'll understand why I'm so interested in anything diabetes related.
Reuters reports that diabetes and insulin may be an integral part of Alzheimer's.
CHICAGO, Feb 2 (Reuters) - Insulin appears to shield the brain from toxic proteins associated with Alzheimer's disease, U.S. researchers said on Monday, supporting a theory that Alzheimer's may be a third form of diabetes.
And they said GlaxoSmithKline's diabetes drug Avandia, or rosiglitazone, which increases sensitivity to insulin, appeared to enhance this protective effect.
"Our results demonstrate that bolstering insulin signaling can protect neurons from harm," William Klein of Northwestern University, whose study appears in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, said in a statement.
Klein said the findings support a new idea that Alzheimer's is a type of diabetes of the brain.
"In Type 1 diabetes, your pancreas isn't making insulin. In Type 2 diabetes, your tissues are insensitive to insulin because of problems in the insulin receptor. Type 3 is where that insulin receptor problem is localized in the brain," Klein said in a telephone interview.
In some people, this can occur with age, he said.
"As you get older, some individuals start to have less effective insulin signaling, including in the brain," he said, making the brain more vulnerable to toxins that cause Alzheimer's disease.
[...]
Several studies have found that diabetics have a higher risk of getting Alzheimer's than the general population.
Last July, researchers at Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York reported that diabetics who take insulin plus a diabetes pill have a lower risk of developing Alzheimer's than diabetics who only take insulin.
That study included a range of anti-diabetic medications, including an older pill known as a sulfonylurea.
Klein said the findings suggest that measures to protect people from diabetes -- including a healthy diet and exercise -- are also important for avoiding Alzheimer's disease.
Good news for diabetics everywhere -- and my Dad, too.
Found via Clayton Cramer.
Posted by Mike Lief at February 4, 2009 07:39 AM
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