An enzyme present in the cerebrospinal fluid offers a track of what happens in patients with Alzheimer's and how it relates to cognitive deterioration.This is autotaxin, which in addition to predicting memory damage also shows the possibility of developing type 2 diabetes. Thus, an increase in a point in the enzyme is up to 300 percent more possibilities to develop type 2 diabetes orprediabetes
Taking into account these data, the Auriel Willette team, from the Iowa State University, has focused on this biomarker for its proximity to the brain and have valued their role in Alzheimer's disease, as reflected in a study in a studywhich is published in Journal of Alzheimer's Disease.
The previous works of this group had shown close relationship between insulin resistance and cognitive deterioration, which raises Alzheimer's risk.In this context, insulin resistance is a good indicator of said neurodegeneration, although you cannot move what happens in the body with what happens in the brain.
predictive value
After the analyzes, the researchers have seen that the presence of the enzyme in the cerebrospinal fluid was associated with a worse brain function, loss of brain volume and that the brain paid less sugar for its operation, which in turn shows thatIn addition to insulin resistance, autotaxin has great predictive value.
The fact that autotaxin is a good predictor of type 2 diabetes and cognitive impairment reinforces the importance of having a good state of health.In fact, people with high levels of such enzyme are usually obese and present insulin resistance.In his work, Auriel Willette points out that autotaxin levels are able to determine the amount of energy used by brain areas affected by Alzheimer's.Thus, people with high levels have fewer brain cells and also are smaller in the frontal and temporal lobe, areas associated with memory and execution of functions.It occurs as when sugar is missing, that neurons have less energy and begin to have some failures, such as processing the information that comes quickly.