New York, Dec 17: Individuals who have higher levels of an appetite-suppressing hormone are less likely to develop the debilitating Alzheimer’s disease, a new study finds.
Previous studies had pointed out the role of the hormone known as leptin that is released by fat cells in curbing the appetite. The hormone, however, has failed to show any promising results when used as weight loss treatment.
According to a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, higher levels of leptin can protect individuals against developing the mind-robbing form of dementia.
The brain volume of these individuals particularly in the hippocampus — a key memory center of the brain — is also reported to be larger than their counterparts with lower leptin levels.
The association, however, was not reported to be significant in obese individuals as these individuals are believed to be resistant to their high blood levels of the appetite suppressing hormone.
“If our findings our confirmed by others, leptin levels in older adults may serve as one of several possible biomarkers for healthy brain ageing and, more importantly, may open new pathways for possible preventive and therapeutic intervention,” said lead researcher Wolfgang Lieb, concluding that leptin plays a critical role in cognitive function.
Scientists hope that their findings would pave the way for the development of new methods to diagnose and treat the disease.
–Agencies