MGH & BWH Researchers: Brains of cognitively normal older individuals carrying the APOE4 gene variant – association between lower weight and more extensive deposits of the Alzheimer’s-associated protein beta-amyloid
Reporter: Aviva Lev-Ari, PhD, RN
While the concept of a preclinical version of Alzheimer’s disease is theoretical and not yet being used to guide clinical diagnosis or treatment, the current hypothesis involves three stages. Individuals at stage 1 are cognitively normal but have elevated amyloid deposits; stage 2 adds evidence of neurodegeneration, such as elevated tau deposits or characteristic loss of certain brain tissues, with no cognitive symptoms; and stage 3 adds cognitive changes that, while still in a normal range, indicate a decline for that individual. The current study is part of the MGH-based Harvard Aging Brain Study (HABS), designed to identify markers that predict who is likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease and how soon symptoms are likely to develop.
This investigation explored the relationship between body mass index (BMI) and beta amyloid levels in the brains of the first 280 participants to enroll in HABS, who were ages 62 to 90, cognitively normal and in good general health. Participants’ initial enrollment data included medical histories; physical exams; testing for the presence of APOE4, the major genetic risk factor for late-onset Alzheimer’s; and PET imaging with Pittsburgh compound B (PiB), which can visualize amyloid plaques in the brain.
After adjusting for factors including age, sex, education and APOE4 status, researchers found that having a lower BMI was associated with greater retention of PiB, indicating more extensive amyloid deposits in the brain. The association was most pronounced in normal-weight participants, who were the group with the lowest BMI in the study. Analysis focused on APOE status revealed that the association between lower BMI and greater PiB retention was particularly significant for individuals with the APOE4 gene variant, which is associated with increased Alzheimer’s disease risk.
SOURCE
MGH News Release
Tuesday, August 2, 2016
Lower weight in late life may increase risk of Alzheimer’s Disease
http://www.massgeneral.org/News/pressrelease.aspx?id=1970
Other related articles published in this Open Access Online Scientific Journal include the following:
Alzheimer’s Disease: Novel Therapeutical Approaches — Articles of Note @PharmaceuticalIntelligence.com
Curators: Larry H. Bernstein, MD, FCAP and Aviva Lev-Ari, PhD, RN
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