On several occasions in recent months we have dealt with dementia and in particular with Alzheimer’s. We evaluated the alarm bells for this neurodegenerative disease, such as periodontitis, or tooth loss. Or we have seen how the onset of tinnitus can be linked, in a previously unknown way, to the onset of early dementia. These are not direct symptoms of the disease, but risk factors that increase the likelihood of dementia and Alzheimer’s. The biggest risk factor is aging, but obesity also plays an important role in the brain and gray matter.
There is an immense scientific literature on Alzheimer’s, underlining the interest in the disease and the importance of seeking effective treatments. Numerous studies try to find direct links between dementia and other factors in order to have a cause / effect relationship with the disease. In fact, for dementia this is unlikely to happen, as it is linked to genetic and environmental factors that interact in a complex way. Recently, however, in a newly published study, researchers have pointed out a previously unclear mechanism. A lot of attention was paid to this study by the scientific community. In fact, science reveals a possible relationship between dementia and Alzheimer’s and here is what to pay maximum attention to: the increase in blood sugar.
The seahorse
Anyone who has seen a representation of the brain is well aware of how it appears: a set of convolutions, invaginations, involutions that cover the entire surface. Going inward you can recognize some portions that appear distinct: one of these has the shape of a seahorse and takes the name of hippocampus. The hippocampus is an area of vital importance for memory function and is also one of the first areas of the brain affected by Alzheimer’s disease. Evaluating which other pathologies also affect the hippocampus means looking for a possible bridge between other clinical conditions and Alzheimer’s. That’s exactly what some American scientists have done.
Science reveals a possible relationship between diabetes and Alzheimer’s and here’s what to pay close attention to
A possible relationship between diabetes and Alzheimer’s has long been known, although so far it has never been clarified how these two diseases can be linked. For example, both diabetes and Alzheimer’s manifest their effects on the hippocampus, through overlapping mechanisms. In a study just published in Communication Biology by the Nature group (Wirt RA et al, 2021), researchers investigated whether this coincident action on the hippocampus could be an important link between the two diseases.
In fact, it was found that high blood sugar alters the activity of neurons in a similar way to what occurs in the early stages of Alzheimer’s. When we need to remember, neurons in the hippocampus communicate with those in another area of the brain (the anterior cingulate cortex) through neurons. The researchers found that, in patients with high blood sugar, the connections between the two areas increase dramatically. It is as if, in patients who are asked to remember, the increase in communication between the two areas confuses the brain, gives many errors.
High blood sugar is therefore an important risk factor for dementia and Alzheimer’s and appears to act similarly on neurons in the hippocampus.