Alzheimer’s disease is a condition that causes problems with memory, thinking, and behavior. It’s related to changes in the brain, and it can lead to a shorter lifespan.
Recently, a group of scientists from the University of Oxford, led by Anya Topiwala, have found a link between Alzheimer’s and parts of our cells called telomeres.
Their findings were published in an open-access journal called PLOS ONE.
Telomeres are like protective caps at the end of our chromosomes. They help to keep our DNA safe from damage. But each time a cell divides, telomeres get a bit shorter.
When telomeres are short, it’s a sign that cells are getting old and stressed. It can also mean a higher risk for brain and mental health problems.
The Research on Telomeres and Brain Health
Until now, we didn’t know much about the connection between telomere length and changes in the brains of people with brain diseases.
To find out more, the researchers in this study looked at telomere length and brain health in over 31,000 people. These people were part of the UK Biobank, a large database with health information about half a million people from the UK.
The researchers found that people with longer telomeres also had better brain health. They had more gray matter, which is a type of brain tissue, and a bigger hippocampus, which is a part of the brain that helps with memory.
These areas of the brain tend to shrink in people with Alzheimer’s disease.
The Link between Telomeres and Alzheimer’s Disease
People with longer telomeres also had a thicker cerebral cortex. This is the outer layer of the brain that thins in Alzheimer’s disease.
Because of these findings, the researchers think that longer telomeres might help to protect people from getting dementia, a group of symptoms that includes memory loss and confusion.
However, they didn’t find a link between telomere length and stroke or Parkinson’s disease, another brain disorder.
The Impact of the Findings
Overall, this study shows that shorter telomeres can be linked to several changes in the brain that are seen in dementia.
It’s the biggest and most detailed study so far to look at the links between telomere length and changes in the brain seen on MRI scans.
These findings suggest that when the brain ages faster, as shown by telomere length, it could lead to brain diseases like Alzheimer’s.
The researchers say, “We found links between telomere length, a sign of biological aging, and several aspects of brain structure. This might explain why people with longer telomeres have a lower risk of dementia.”
If you care about brain health, please read studies about vitamin D deficiency linked to Alzheimer’s and vascular dementia, and extra-virgin olive oil could boost brain function.
For more information about brain health, please see recent studies about antioxidants that could help reduce dementia risk, and strawberries could help prevent Alzheimer’s disease
The study was published in PLOS ONE.
Copyright © 2023 Knowridge Science Report. All rights reserved.
