A groundbreaking study from Yale-NUS College has revealed a new way of thinking about Alzheimer’s disease, a condition that affects memory, thinking, and behavior—especially in older adults. This new research suggests that Alzheimer’s may be more connected to how the body uses energy than previously believed.
Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form of dementia and the leading neurodegenerative disease worldwide. In Singapore, about 1 in 10 people over the age of 60 experiences some form of dementia, and Alzheimer’s is often the main cause. Despite years of global research, scientists still don’t fully understand what causes the disease, and no cure currently exists.
For a long time, research has focused on a protein called amyloid-beta. This protein can build up in the brain, forming sticky clumps called plaques that interfere with brain function. These plaques are commonly found in the brains of people with Alzheimer’s, leading scientists to believe they were a key cause of the disease.
But the latest study offers a different view. The researchers found that problems with the body’s metabolism—the way cells produce and use energy—might appear much earlier than amyloid-beta plaques.
Specifically, they focused on the mitochondria, which are parts of cells responsible for generating energy. If mitochondria don’t work properly, it can affect many systems in the body, including the brain.
In their research, the team used a tiny worm called Caenorhabditis elegans, which is commonly used in scientific studies because it shares many key biological features with humans. The researchers created worm models that mimicked Alzheimer’s disease. Surprisingly, they found clear signs of metabolic issues in the worms before any increase in amyloid-beta levels.
One of the most exciting parts of the study was the use of metformin, a drug commonly used to treat type 2 diabetes. When the researchers gave metformin to the worms, it helped fix their energy-related problems and even extended their healthy lifespan. This suggests that improving metabolic function might help protect the brain from damage seen in Alzheimer’s disease.
This discovery is important because it points to a new direction for preventing or treating Alzheimer’s—not by focusing only on brain plaques, but by looking at how energy is made and used in cells. It opens the door to the idea that Alzheimer’s might begin with changes in the body’s metabolism, long before memory loss begins.
The research was led by Associate Professor Jan Gruber and published in the journal eLife. It adds to a growing belief in the medical community that aging itself—especially the way our body’s systems slow down and change—may be the root of many age-related diseases, including Alzheimer’s.
If scientists can find ways to keep our energy systems healthy as we age, they might be able to delay or even prevent diseases like Alzheimer’s. This approach focuses on prevention and early intervention, rather than just treating symptoms after the disease has already caused major damage.
In short, this study highlights how deeply connected our brain health is to our body’s overall metabolism. It suggests that taking care of our metabolic health might be one of the best ways to protect our memory and brain function as we get older.
As researchers continue to study how energy, aging, and the brain interact, we may be getting closer to finding better ways to fight Alzheimer’s and improve quality of life for millions of people worldwide.
If you care about brain health, please read studies about vitamin D deficiency linked to Alzheimer’s and vascular dementia, and higher magnesium intake could help benefit brain health.
For more information about brain health, please see recent studies about antioxidants that could help reduce dementia risk, and coconut oil could help improve cognitive function in Alzheimer’s.
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