Exercise may help ward off Alzheimer’s

Scientists believe the protein PGC-1alpha could open the door to new ways of treating Alzheimer’s.

The protein has metabolic effects that also appear to guard against type 2 diabetes.

Researchers studied brain samples from dead Alzheimer’s patients and compared them with others from healthy individuals. They found there was less PGC-1alpha in the Alzheimer’s-affected brains.

Since exercise is known to raise levels of PGC-1alpha, the findings may help explain the link between regular physical activity and reduced Alzheimer’s risk.

They also provide a clue to why people with diabetes are more likely to develop Alzheimer’s.

Magdalena Sastre, from Imperial College London, who led the study, said: “These early results tell us much more about how diabetes and Alzheimer’s are linked, but more importantly, they have given us a potential treatment target. Research is the only way to defeat dementia.”