Study Suggests Alzheimer’s Starts In Other Parts Of The Body

It’s generally known that Alzheimer’s disease is a neurological condition that primarily targets the brain. However, new information suggests that it actually starts somewhere else in the body. As such, scientists are suggesting to take even better care of one’s physical and mental health to reduce the chances of developing the degenerative condition.

The new data was presented by a joint effort of Canadian and Chinese researchers who posted their findings on the Molecular Psychiatry journal. According to their study, Alzheimer’s might actually start somewhere other than the brain. This is due to how the condition is caused by the build-up of beta-amyloid proteins and tau proteins.

“In this study, using a model of parabiosis between APPswe/PS1dE9 transgenic AD mice and their wild-type littermates, we observed that the human Aβ originated from transgenic AD model mice entered the circulation and accumulated in the brains of wild-type mice, and formed cerebral amyloid angiopathy and Aβ plaques after a 12-month period of parabiosis,” the paper reads.

The key takeaway here is the beta-amyloid build-up because this protein is actually produced by other parts of the body. At any given moment, the human body produces the protein, which then crosses the blood-brain barrier. As a result, the protein gets stuck in the brain, which results in Alzheimer’s.

These findings could result in a huge shift in how the degenerative disease might be approached in the future. Right now, Alzheimer’s treatments largely focus on the brain, Futurism reports. As this study suggests, however, scientists might want to look into other parts of the body. More specifically, perhaps more focus should be given to the build-up of beta-amyloid.

Doing so could finally alleviate the burden that the care of patients with Alzheimer’s or dementia is causing. In 2016 alone, the U.S. has spent $236 billion in caring for such patients.