Possible explanation for the link between diabetes and Alzheimer's disease

“The findings could be important for further research into possible treatments to counter the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease in people with type 2 diabetes,” said Olof Rolandsson, senior professor at the Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine at Umeå University, research leader and first author of the study.

The substances the researchers studied are two so-called beta-amyloids, which are among the most important components of the plaques found in the brains of people with Alzheimer's disease.

The researchers measured levels of beta-amyloids Aβ1-40 and Aβ1-42, and an enzyme that breaks down beta-amyloid, in the blood of a group of subjects with type 2 diabetes and a group of healthy controls. The two groups were infused with glucose for four hours to induce acute hyperglycemia, or high blood sugar, after which repeated samples were taken from the subjects.

Immediately after the sugar injection, the levels in both groups were roughly the same. Soon after, the control group saw a rapid drop in beta-amyloid levels and an increase in levels of amyloid-degrading enzymes. The type 2 diabetes group saw no change — beta-amyloid levels did not drop and amyloid-degrading enzymes did not increase.

The findings suggest that the bodies of people with type 2 diabetes do not have the same ability to process beta-amyloid as healthy people, which could lead to it building up in the brain and increasing the risk of developing dementia such as Alzheimer's.

“Further research is needed to confirm these limited findings. In the long term, we hope that they may lead to the development of new treatments. However, these findings highlight the importance of preventing type 2 diabetes as much as possible and that people with type 2 diabetes should avoid hyperglycemic attacks,” says Olof Rolandsson.

The study included 10 people with type 2 diabetes and 11 people without diabetes as a control group. Participants were aged between 66 and 72 years.

People with type 2 diabetes are at higher risk for Alzheimer's disease and other cognitive disorders, and a new study led by Umeå University in Sweden suggests that this may be because people with type 2 diabetes have a harder time excreting proteins that can cause disease.

“The findings could be important for further research into possible treatments to counter the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease in people with type 2 diabetes,” said Olof Rolandsson, senior professor at the Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine at Umeå University, research leader and first author of the study.

The substances the researchers studied are two so-called beta-amyloids, which are among the most important components of the plaques found in the brains of people with Alzheimer's disease.

The researchers measured levels of beta-amyloids Aβ1-40 and Aβ1-42, and an enzyme that breaks down beta-amyloid, in the blood of a group of subjects with type 2 diabetes and a group of healthy controls. The two groups were infused with glucose for four hours to induce acute hyperglycemia, or high blood sugar, after which repeated samples were taken from the subjects.

Immediately after the sugar injection, the levels in both groups were roughly the same. Soon after, the control group saw a rapid drop in beta-amyloid levels and an increase in levels of amyloid-degrading enzymes. The type 2 diabetes group saw no change — beta-amyloid levels did not drop and amyloid-degrading enzymes did not increase.

The findings suggest that the bodies of people with type 2 diabetes are not able to process beta-amyloid in the same way as healthy people, which could lead to it building up in the brain and increasing the risk of developing dementia such as Alzheimer's.

“Further research is needed to confirm these limited findings. In the long term, we hope that they may lead to the development of new treatments. However, these findings highlight the importance of preventing type 2 diabetes as much as possible and that people with type 2 diabetes should avoid hyperglycemic attacks,” says Olof Rolandsson.

The study included 10 people with type 2 diabetes and 11 people without diabetes as a control group. Participants were aged between 66 and 72 years.

People with type 2 diabetes are at higher risk for Alzheimer's disease and other cognitive disorders, and a new study led by Umeå University in Sweden suggests that this may be because people with type 2 diabetes have a harder time excreting proteins that can cause disease.

“The findings could be important for further research into possible treatments to counter the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease in people with type 2 diabetes,” said Olof Rolandsson, senior professor at the Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine at Umeå University, research leader and first author of the study.

The substances the researchers studied are two so-called beta-amyloids, which are among the most important components of the plaques found in the brains of people with Alzheimer's disease.

The researchers measured levels of beta-amyloids Aβ1-40 and Aβ1-42, and an enzyme that breaks down beta-amyloid, in the blood of a group of subjects with type 2 diabetes and a group of healthy controls. The two groups were infused with glucose for four hours to induce acute hyperglycemia, or high blood sugar, after which repeated samples were taken from the subjects.

Immediately after the sugar injection, the levels in both groups were roughly the same. Soon after, the control group saw a rapid drop in beta-amyloid levels and an increase in levels of amyloid-degrading enzymes. The type 2 diabetes group saw no change — beta-amyloid levels did not drop and amyloid-degrading enzymes did not increase.

The results suggest that the bodies of people with type 2 diabetes do not have the same ability to process beta-amyloid as healthy people.

The findings suggest that the bodies of people with type 2 diabetes do not have the same ability to process beta-amyloid as healthy people, which could lead to it building up in the brain and increasing the risk of developing dementia such as Alzheimer's.

“Further research is needed to confirm these limited findings. In the long term, we hope that they may lead to the development of new treatments. However, these findings highlight the importance of preventing type 2 diabetes as much as possible and that people with type 2 diabetes should avoid hyperglycemic attacks,” says Olof Rolandsson.

The study included 10 people with type 2 diabetes and 11 people without diabetes as a control group. Participants were aged between 66 and 72 years.

People with type 2 diabetes are at higher risk for Alzheimer's disease and other cognitive disorders, and a new study led by Umeå University in Sweden suggests that this may be because people with type 2 diabetes have a harder time excreting proteins that can cause disease.

“The findings could be important for further research into possible treatments to counter the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease in people with type 2 diabetes,” said Olof Rolandsson, senior professor at the Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine at Umeå University, research leader and first author of the study.

The substances the researchers studied are two so-called beta-amyloids, which are among the most important components of the plaques found in the brains of people with Alzheimer's disease.

The researchers measured levels of beta-amyloids Aβ1-40 and Aβ1-42, and an enzyme that breaks down beta-amyloid, in the blood of a group of subjects with type 2 diabetes and a group of healthy controls. The two groups were infused with glucose for four hours to induce acute hyperglycemia, or high blood sugar, after which repeated samples were taken from the subjects.

Immediately after the sugar injection, the levels in both groups were roughly the same. Soon after, the control group saw a rapid drop in beta-amyloid levels and an increase in levels of amyloid-degrading enzymes. The type 2 diabetes group saw no change — beta-amyloid levels did not drop and amyloid-degrading enzymes did not increase.

The findings suggest that the bodies of people with type 2 diabetes do not have the same ability to process beta-amyloid as healthy people, which could lead to it building up in the brain and increasing the risk of developing dementia such as Alzheimer's.

“Further research is needed to confirm these limited findings. In the long term, we hope that they may lead to the development of new treatments. However, these findings highlight the importance of preventing type 2 diabetes as much as possible and that people with type 2 diabetes should avoid hyperglycemic attacks,” says Olof Rolandsson.

The study included 10 people with type 2 diabetes and 11 people without diabetes as a control group. Participants were aged between 66 and 72 years.

People with type 2 diabetes are at higher risk for Alzheimer's disease and other cognitive disorders, and a new study led by Umeå University in Sweden suggests that this may be because people with type 2 diabetes have a harder time excreting proteins that can cause disease.

“The findings could be important for further research into possible treatments to counter the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease in people with type 2 diabetes,” said Olof Rolandsson, senior professor at the Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine at Umeå University, research leader and first author of the study.

The substances the researchers studied are two so-called beta-amyloids, which are among the most important components of the plaques found in the brains of people with Alzheimer's disease.

The researchers measured levels of beta-amyloids Aβ1-40 and Aβ1-42, and an enzyme that breaks down beta-amyloid, in the blood of a group of subjects with type 2 diabetes and a group of healthy controls. The two groups were infused with glucose for four hours to induce acute hyperglycemia, or high blood sugar, after which repeated samples were taken from the subjects.

Immediately after the sugar injection, the levels in both groups were roughly the same. Soon after, the control group saw a rapid drop in beta-amyloid levels and an increase in levels of amyloid-degrading enzymes. The type 2 diabetes group saw no change — beta-amyloid levels did not drop and amyloid-degrading enzymes did not increase.

The findings suggest that the bodies of people with type 2 diabetes are not able to process beta-amyloid in the same way as healthy people, which could lead to it building up in the brain and increasing the risk of developing dementia such as Alzheimer's.

“Further research is needed to confirm these limited findings. In the long term, we hope that they may lead to the development of new treatments. However, these findings highlight the importance of preventing type 2 diabetes as much as possible and that people with type 2 diabetes should avoid hyperglycemic attacks,” says Olof Rolandsson.

The study included 10 people with type 2 diabetes and 11 people without diabetes as a control group. Participants were aged between 66 and 72 years.