Researchers have linked high levels of the appetite hormone leptin with reduced incidence of Alzheimers.
The 12-year study of 200 people, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, found those with the lowest levels of leptin were more likely to develop the disease than those with the highest.
It could pave the way for further leptin studies as a means for heading off Alzheimer’s. The hope is leptin could eventually be used as both a marker and a treatment.
The results still need to be verified in other studies, but if confirmed, they could further determine to what degree lifestyle and other factors like habitual exercise figure in the prevention and treatment of Alzheimers.
Rebecca Wood, chief executive of the Alzheimer’s Research Trust, said “Previous studies have shown that obesity in mid-life is associated with an increased risk of dementia. 700,000 people in the UK have dementia, a number forecast to double in a generation. With enough investment in research, dementia can be defeated.”
Susanne Sorensen, head of research at the Alzheimer’s Society, said: “Further investigation is now needed to understand this relationship. This could move us closer to understanding the causes of the disease and provide vital information for drug development.”
Leptin tells the brain that the body is full and so reduces appetite, it is also a potential weapon in treating obesity.
