Fat Hormone Against Alzheimer

A team of researchers at Boston University Medical Center have found that high levels of the hormone Leptin may be significantly linked to a dramatic reduction in the risk of developing Alzheimer’s Disease.

Leptin (Greek leptos meaning thin) is a protein hormone that plays a key role in regulating energy intake and energy expenditure, including appetite and metabolism. It is one of the most important adipose derived hormones.

Leptin, which is produced naturally by the body’s fat cells and is sensitive to calorie intake, has already been shown to be responsible for helping control the appetite and regulate weight gain, with other previous studies having demonstrated the link between obesity in middle age and an increased risk of developing dementia.

Further research is required, but it has been determined that over a period of 12 years people with higher levels of Leptin were 4 times less likely to develop Alzheimer’s than those who had much lower levels. Scientists believe that controlling the hormone Leptin may lead to healthier brain ageing and open up new opportunities for disease prevention as well as the further development of treatments and various therapeutic interventions for those already diagnosed.

Eventually, a Leptin based drug could prove to be the solution to preventing and even curing this degenerative disease, and with cases of Alzheimer’s Disease set to rise sharply in coming decades this research could prove invaluable for a society growing increasingly older.

Leptin may stimulate prostate growth and angiogenesis, and receptors for leptin are present in the prostate. To determine if leptin is associated with increased risk of prostate cancer, Stattin et al. (2001) identified 149 men with prostate cancer (together with 298 matched referents) who had participated in population-based health surveys in Northern Sweden before diagnosis.

Picture: © Multiart – Fotolia.com

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