Alzheimer's as a brain energy deficiency disease; new possibilities for treatment and prevention.
What is it about?
Glucose is the preferred fuel of the human brain. But the brain does not get its glucose directly from the blood, it first has to pass through our blood-brain barrier, the protective barrier that controls the types and amounts of substances allowed into the central nervous system where the brain resides. There may always be glucose in our blood, but evidence shows that as we age, less and less can make through our blood-brain barrier. In some individuals the situation develops where the brain no longer receives glucose/energy it requires for all its energy needs. As this takes place, evidence suggests that changes occur in how the brain operates and these changes are likely to be what puts the brain on the road toward Alzheimer's disease.
Why is it important?
Alzheimer’s disease (AD) remains the only disease in the top ten causes of death for which there are no effective treatments or definitive preventive measures. Understanding the underlying mechanism that causes the brain to develop AD has been difficult to uncover. This article proposes a key mechanism and how it ties together existing evidence. This can open the door to new methods of diagnosis and treatment, as well as the possibility of identifying the risk earlier in life and stopping the process before any onset of cognitive symptoms - well before AD has a chance to begin. The mechanisms identified also provide new therapeutic hopes for those already in the grips of this terrible disease.