Insulin Resistance Speeds Up Cognitive Decline
We are facing a tsunami of Alzheimer’s disease. It’s often said that the underlying causes of Alzheimer’s disease are unknown, but there are numerous theories. For example, research suggesting that an infectious component is at play is becoming increasingly difficult to ignore.
In addition to viruses, bacteria and fungi, an infectious protein called TDP-43, which behaves like infectious proteins known as prions — responsible for the brain destruction that occurs in Mad Cow and Chronic Wasting Diseases — has been linked to the disease. Research presented at the 2014 Alzheimer’s Association International Conference revealed Alzheimer’s patients with TDP-43 were 10 times more likely to have been cognitively impaired at death than those without.
