High Insulin Linked to Alzheimer's

A new study has shown that elevated insulin in healthy subjects led to an increase in proteins associated with inflammation and was also linked to high levels of beta amyloid, which is considered to play a key role in the development of Alzheimer's disease (AD).

In the study, scientists at the University of Washington (Seattle, USA) raised the blood insulin levels in 16 healthy adults aged 55-81 while maintaining their blood sugar levels in a normal range. Then the researchers measured levels of proteins in the blood and cerebrospinal fluid, which bathes the spinal cord and brain. They found that elevated levels of insulin increased inflammation proteins and high levels of beta amyloid.

"The Alzheimer's-insulin link may lead to novel and more-effective strategies for treating, delaying, or even preventing this challenging disease,” wrote the researchers.

Many other studies have also shown possible links between diabetes and heart disease and the onset of Alzheimer's disease. Millions of people in the United States alone have high insulin levels because of diabetes or as a result of a related metabolic condition. Overweight people and heart disease patients also tend to produce greater amounts of insulin. The results of the study appear in the August 2005 issue of the Archives of Neurology, a research journal of the American Medical Association.




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