Scientists Find New Link Between Diabetes and Alzheimer’s Disease

In study recently published in The Journal of Clinical Investigation, researchers uncovered a connection between diabetes and Alzheimer’s disease, providing further evidence that memory capabilities may be affected by elevated blood sugar. Previous studies have pointed to diabetes as a possible contributor to Alzheimer’s disease, however, the new study (in mice) shows that elevated blood glucose levels can rapidly increase levels of amyloid beta, a key component of brain plaques in Alzheimer’s disease patients. The buildup of plaque is thought to be an early driver of the complex set of changes that occur in the brain. To understand how elevated blood sugar might affect Alzheimer’s disease risk, the researchers infused glucose into the bloodstreams of mice bred to develop an Alzheimer’s-like condition. In young mice without amyloid plaques in their brains, doubling glucose levels in the blood increased amyloid beta levels in the brain by 20 percent. When the scientists repeated the experiment in older mice that already had developed brain plaques, amyloid beta levels rose by 40 percent. “Our results suggest that diabetes, or other conditions that make it hard to control blood sugar levels, can have harmful effects on brain function and exacerbate neurological conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease,” said the lead author of the study. “The link we’ve discovered could lead us to future treatment targets that reduce these effects.” To read more about this study, click here.