Study finds hormone with potential links to Alzheimer’s risk

A new study from the US has highlighted a potential link between a fat-derived hormone and an increased risk of Alzheimer's disease and dementia among women.

Research led by Tufts University in Boston has showed that high levels of adiponectin – derived from visceral fat – are associated with an elevated risk of all-cause dementia.

The conclusion was reached following an assessment of glucose, insulin, glycated albumin, C-reactive protein, lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A2 and adiponectin levels in blood plasma over an average period of 13 years.

Scientists noted that because adiponectin enhances insulin sensitivity, and insulin signalling is dysfunctional in the brains of dementia patients, it would be expected that this hormone would protect against cognitive decline.

The fact that the opposite is true suggests that it is an independent predictor for dementia and Alzheimer's disease, even adjusting for other risk factors.

Last month, the medical journal Neurology published a report showing that the size of a patient's brain could also be a key predictor of Alzheimer's risk.