Diabetes Health: New Biomarker May Predict Alzheimer’s Disease

Iowa State University researchers have recently found a biomarker that could predict Alzheimer’s disease – the brain fluid enzyme autotaxin. Their new study suggests that higher enzyme levels lead to a greater chance of developing both Alzheimer’s disease and type-2 diabetes.

After examining data from 287 adults over the age of 55 with Alzheimer’s disease, it was determined that with every single-point increase in autotaxin levels, the risk of developing memory loss increased by 3.5 to 5 times. An increase in autotaxin also showed an increase with obesity levels and lower memory scores.

Additionally, the team found a connection between type 2 diabetes and protein-related memory loss. This suggests that individuals who are in better physical health will be less likely to experience the diseases.

These findings were published in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease on December 1, 2016.