Alzheimer's May be Like Diabetes

This is a very interesting study by Dr. Suzanne M. de la Monte, a neuropathologist at Rhode Island Hospital and a professor of pathology and clinical neuroscience at Brown Medical School, in Providence, R.I.

According to the researchers, the study demonstrates that Alzheimer's is a brain-specific disorder, distinct from other types of diabetes, such as the inherited form, type 1, and obesity-linked type 2. "This study shows that Alzheimer's is a [new] type of diabetes," de la Monte said. "It's type 3 diabetes."

According to de la Monte, a loss of insulin in the brain may trigger Alzheimer's onset because brain cells need insulin to function and survive. When this happens, oxidative stress increases, the brain deteriorates, and there is loss of cognitive function, plus a buildup of plaques and tangles in the brain, she said.