Alzheimer’s disease has long been associated with an
unhealthy lifestyle based on a wrong diet, too much drinking and smoking. Now a
new study confirms the idea, suggesting that eating the wrong diet could
increase risk of developing Alzheimer’s. The study was conducted on mice and
found a link between raised levels of the omega-6 fatty acid arachidonic acid
and memory loss and behavioral changes, pointing to new strategies for tacking
Alzheimer’s. Sources of omega-6 fatty acids include poultry, cereals, eggs,
nuts, most vegetable oils and evening primrose oil. They are thought to be good
for skin, hair, nails and hormonal balance.
Alzheimer’s is a degenerative disease for which there is no
cure, as current drugs only ease its symptoms. The most common symptom is memory loss, as well
as difficulty to remember recently learned facts. Sometimes, it can go
undiagnosed for years. According
to the estimates of the U.S. National Institutes of Health, there are currently
about 5.2 million Americans with Alzheimer's disease. Globally, the disease
affects more than 26 million people. One in 20 people with ages ranging from 65
to 74 and almost half of those with ages over 85 are affected by the terrible
condition.
Arachidonic acid is released from phospholipids in the brain
by an enzyme called group IVA phospholipase, or PLA2. By decreasing levels of
PLA2 in Alzheimer’s mice using genetic engineering, the memory deficits and
behavioral abnormalities associated with the disease were prevented, study
leader Dr Rene Sanches-Mejia, from the Gladstone Institute of Neurological
Diseases in San Francisco, California, US,
(GIND) said.
“The most striking change we discovered in the Alzheimer mice was an
increase in arachidonic acid and related metabolites in the hippocampus, a
memory center that is affected early and severely by Alzheimer's disease.
Arachidonic acid likely wreaks havoc in the Alzheimer mice by causing too much
excitation, which makes neurons sick. By lowering arachidonic acid levels, we
are allowing neurons to function normally,” he added.
The discovery has important therapeutic implications because it suggests
that “inhibition of PLA2 activity might help prevent neurological impairments
in Alzheimer's disease,” Co-author Dr Lennart Mucke, GIND director, said. However,
more study needs to be done before testing this therapy on humans, he added.
The study was supported by the national Institutes of Health, the United
States Department of Agriculture and the Gladstone Institutes. The findings
were published in the Oct. 19 issue of the journal Nature Neuroscience.
Findings ways to cure Alzheimer’s is a top priority for researchers, as the
number of patients with this condition is going to quadruple worldwide by 2050
reaching approximately 106 million cases. There are currently five drugs
approved to treat Alzheimer’s, but they only mask symptoms for 6 to 12 months
at most, according to the Alzheimer’s Association, an advocacy group based in Chicago.
