Encouraging news on Alzheimer's. There's a new study, small yet convincing, led by a Department of Veterans Affairs team that suggests an insulin nasal spray might be able to help those with minor memory problems improve their symptoms of alzheimer's.
However, even the study authors believe a lot more research is required before doctors will be able to say for sure that such a product would help patients. But we do know that insulin found in the brain works differently than it does within the body, so there may be more to the connection than insulin's influence in glucose uptake.
We also know that there is currently no way to delay or prevent dementia and Alzheimer's.
Earlier research has suggested an association between Alzheimer's disease and conditions like obesity and type 2 diabetes. This latest work supports the links between troubles with insulin in the brain and mental decline.
For the current study, researchers recruited 104 adults who had mild memory problems from either Alzheimer's disease or another cognitive impairment called (aMCI).
The participants were divided into three groups, 36 subjects who got 40 international units (IU) of insulin per day, another 38 subjects who got 20 IUs and the final 30 participants who took a saline filled placebo. The insulin was delivered through a nasal spray.
The team looked at insulin effects on thinking, general day to day functioning and the metabolism of glucose in the brain. When the study concluded, those who had been taking 20 IUs a day showed improved ability to recall a story, better ability to remember details right afterward and again after a short time lapse. Those with the higher dose, and those given the placebo showed no improvement in story recall.
Also, those who were diagnosed with Alzheimer's and received either of the two doses of insulin had better mental function compared with Alzheimer's patients who were given the placebo. Placebo takers showed some small declines overall.
And then, there's this. The outcomes of a dementia test the subjects took before and once the study had finished showed no decline for any of the subjects in either insulin group in comparison with those given the placebo.
In the initial stages, Alzheimer's disease brings trouble thinking, with memory loss and language difficulties. Insulin problems are believed to play a part in these symptoms. And while the biggest risk of Alzheimer's is getting older, this is not a disease of old age. Patients generally live an average of 8 years after their symptoms have been noticed by those around them, but can live as long as 20 years, depending on age and other health conditions.
While much more research into the symptoms of alzheimer's is needed, the findings are promising and may lead to novel ways to treat all forms of dementia, including Alzheimer's. While medical science can't stop these diseases from progressing, there are treatments that can temporarily slow down symptoms and improve the quality of life for patients and their families.
