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(HealthNewsDigest.com) – Charleston, S.C. (August 14, 2013) – Recent evidence suggests that metabolic disorders and many diseases frequently develop due to unhealthy lifestyles, such as poor diet and lack of physical activity. Researchers Narayan R. Bhat, Ph.D., Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) neurosciences professor and Lakshmi Thirumangalakudi, Ph.D., Department of Psychiatry, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University Medical Center and New York State Psychiatric Institute, have found evidence to suggest that what’s bad for the body is also bad for the mind in a study published this month in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease.
“Alzheimer’s disease (AD) progressively robs its victims of their memory, mental faculties and independent living,” Bhat said. “Although specific genetic mutations have been identified thatdirectly cause the disease, these cases are rare. Our study suggests potential common causes and co-morbidities of metabolic disorders and sporadic cases of Alzheimer’s disease and hence an opportunity to develop treatments targeted at improving insulin sensitivity for those more common cases of AD.
“Epidemiological and experimental studies point to a link between metabolic diseases and Alzheimer’s-like dementia via common vascular-associated risk factors. Although the underlying mechanisms are unclear and complex, certain common features are emerging including inflammation and insulin resistance, leading to changes in metabolic derangement in the brain similar to peripheral organs. In fact, some researchers now describe AD as “type 3 diabetes” -a consequence of insulin deficiency and inaction (i.e., resistance). One of the consequences of altered insulin signaling and resistance in the brain is increased phosphorylation of tau, a brain protein that loses its normal function while becoming toxic in the AD brain.In their study Bhat and Thirumangalakudi describe brain changes that indicate altered insulin signaling and increased tau phosphorylation in normal mice fed a high-fat and high-cholesterol diet. The hypothesis for the link between vascular disorders and AD-like changes in the brain is that metabolic changes including peripheral inflammation and insulin resistance resulting from high fat intake cause dysfunction in the brain’s vascular system that in turn leads to cellular and metabolic changes in the brain similar to what occurs in an AD brain. For more information, a full citation of the study is here: Increased Tau Phosphorylation and Impaired Brain Insulin/IGF Signaling in Mice Fed a High Fat/High Cholesterol DietNarayan R. Bhat and Lakshmi ThirumangalakudiJAD Volume 36/Issue 4 (August 2013)DOI: 10.3233/JAD-2012-121030
About MUSC
Founded in 1824 in Charleston, The Medical University of South Carolina is the oldest medical school in the South. Today, MUSC continues the tradition of excellence in education, research, and patient care. MUSC educates and trains more than 3,000 students and residents, and has nearly 13,000 employees, including approximately 1,500 faculty members. As the largest non-federal employer in Charleston, the university and its affiliates have collective annual budgets in excess of $1.7 billion. MUSC operates a 750-bed medical center, which includes a nationally recognized Children’s Hospital, the Ashley River Tower (cardiovascular, digestive disease, and surgical oncology), Hollings Cancer Center (one of 66 National Cancer Institute designated centers) and a leading Institute of Psychiatry. For more information on academic information or clinical services, visit www.musc.edu. For more information on hospital patient services, visitwww.muschealth.com.
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