Insulin Resistance Linked to Alzheimer 's Disease

There is nothing quite like an autopsy to help prove a point. Japanese researchers have provided clear evidence that the common problem of insulin resistance¹ leads to increased levels of plaque brain tangles in Alzheimer's patients.

The study involved 135 Alzheimer's patients who had been tested for insulin resistance and many other aspects of the metabolic syndrome at least 10 years prior to their death. Other factors of the metabolic syndrome such as high blood pressure or high cholesterol were not linked as independent variables in terms of increasing the amount of brain plaque.

Excess blood sugar due to insulin resistance is known to cause advanced glycation end products (AGEs), which are essentially hardened sugar in a goup of protein. AGEs are known to speed the poor health of flexible structures such as the heart, kidneys, and circulation to and from the eyes. This new study proves conclusively that insulin resistance aggravates the problem of cognitive decline and is an independent variable that predicts cognitive decline and Alzheimer's disease.

Insulin resistance is also predicted by your waistline. It takes years of brain tangle formation before full blown Alzheimer's locks in. In other words, your waistline is predictive of serious cognitive decline so do something about these issues before they become large problems.