Alzheimer’s disease profoundly impacts memory, thinking, and behavior, significantly affecting quality of life. Despite the absence of a cure, researchers have been looking for ways to mitigate symptoms or even prevent its onset.
A recent study has highlighted the potential role of exercise in producing a hormone that could offer protection against Alzheimer’s disease.
Conducted by Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) researchers, the study found that Irisin, a hormone released by muscles in response to exercise, may help reduce amyloid-beta deposits in the brain, a hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease, reported Medical News Today.
Amyloid-beta is an abnormal protein that can progressively harm organs.
The research, detailed in Neuroscience News, demonstrated that exercise boosts circulating levels of irisin, which regulates glucose and lipid metabolism in fat tissue while increasing energy expenditure.
Using a 3D cell culture model of Alzheimer’s disease, the researchers observed promising outcomes.
“Our findings revealed that irisin treatment significantly decreased amyloid beta pathology,” stated study author Se Hoon Choi in a press release.
“We also established that irisin achieved this by enhancing neprilysin activity through secretion from astrocytes in the brain.” Neprilysin is an enzyme crucial for breaking down amyloid beta.
The study suggests that irisin plays a critical role in augmenting neprilysin levels, which in turn reduces amyloid beta accumulation—a potential avenue for developing therapies to prevent or treat Alzheimer’s disease.
While the research remains in its early stages, it introduces a new perspective on Alzheimer’s prevention.
“Previous studies in adults have shown increased irisin levels due to exercise, particularly resistance training, which may underlie some of exercise’s benefits for brain health,” noted Ryan Glatt, a senior brain health coach, as reported by Medical News Today.
Notably, this study isn’t the first to associate exercise with Alzheimer’s prevention. Earlier research in July linked lean muscle mass to a reduced risk of disease onset.
The researchers explained that Alzheimer’s-affected brain cells exhibit severe mitochondrial dysfunction, emphasizing the importance of lean muscle mass for maintaining healthy mitochondria function and potentially staving off Alzheimer’s disease.
