Study Uncovers Surprising Connection Between Choline, Obesity and Brain Inflammation
For a long time, the scientific community has known that anything that causes harm to the body usually also harms our brains. Conditions like insulin resistance, obesity and high blood pressure strain the body’s metabolic and vascular systems. With time, this stress accelerates cognitive decline and amplifies Alzheimer’s risk.
Now, a new study conducted by a team at Arizona State University (ASU) together with collaborators elsewhere has shown that the harmful effects often start much earlier than had initially been thought. They observed that obese young adults exhibited a pattern of subtle changes suggesting early brain damage. These same patterns were present in older people diagnosed with various forms of cognitive impairment.
Another key finding was that the obese young adults also tended to have low levels of choline, a vital nutrient that is important for liver function, supporting brain health and controlling inflammation.
For their study, the researchers recruited 30 participants aged above 20 and less than 40 years. Half of them were obese while the rest were categorized as having normal weight. Fasting blood samples were taken from these individuals and then tested for various parameters like glucose and insulin levels, enzymes linked to the liver, inflammatory cytokines, circulating choline, and other measures of metabolic function.
The test results of the obese subjects were compared to those of the participants with normal weight. From the analysis, it was found that obese subjects had low levels of circulating choline, higher metabolic stress, more elevated levels of inflammation and the early pointers of damage to neurons.
The team then took these results and compared them with those of older adults with a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease or mild cognitive impairment. They found that the older adults also had markers similar to those of the younger adults that were obese. These included lower levels of choline and higher levels of inflammation. This suggests that the mechanisms that result in Alzheimer’s start exerting their influence a lot earlier than the scientific community has known.
While the study doesn’t suggest causation, it paints a strong picture of correlation between obesity, choline status, and inflammation earlier in one’s life. This link provides a possible explanation as to why metabolic disorders earlier in life increase the risk for being diagnosed with cognitive decline conditions later in one’s life.
The research underscores the importance of choline intake from dietary sources or supplementation to support healthy aging. Surveys show most people in the U.S. lack sufficient amounts of this vital nutrient.
The study once again highlights the detrimental effects of chronic inflammation on metabolic and neuronal health. This adds a sense of urgency to the research and development programs of firms like Soligenix Inc. (NASDAQ: SNGX) that are focused on bringing to market more efficacious therapies indicated for systemic inflammation.
Please see full terms of use and disclaimers on the BioMedWire website applicable to all content provided by BMW, wherever published or re-published: http://BMW.fm/Disclaimer
For a long time, the scientific community has known that anything that causes harm to the body usually also harms our brains. Conditions like insulin resistance, obesity and high blood pressure strain the body’s metabolic and vascular systems. With time, this stress accelerates cognitive decline and amplifies Alzheimer’s risk.
Now, a new study conducted by a team at Arizona State University (ASU) together with collaborators elsewhere has shown that the harmful effects often start much earlier than had initially been thought. They observed that obese young adults exhibited a pattern of subtle changes suggesting early brain damage. These same patterns were present in older people diagnosed with various forms of cognitive impairment.
Another key finding was that the obese young adults also tended to have low levels of choline, a vital nutrient that is important for liver function, supporting brain health and controlling inflammation.
For their study, the researchers recruited 30 participants aged above 20 and less than 40 years. Half of them were obese while the rest were categorized as having normal weight. Fasting blood samples were taken from these individuals and then tested for various parameters like glucose and insulin levels, enzymes linked to the liver, inflammatory cytokines, circulating choline, and other measures of metabolic function.
The test results of the obese subjects were compared to those of the participants with normal weight. From the analysis, it was found that obese subjects had low levels of circulating choline, higher metabolic stress, more elevated levels of inflammation and the early pointers of damage to neurons.
The team then took these results and compared them with those of older adults with a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease or mild cognitive impairment. They found that the older adults also had markers similar to those of the younger adults that were obese. These included lower levels of choline and higher levels of inflammation. This suggests that the mechanisms that result in Alzheimer’s start exerting their influence a lot earlier than the scientific community has known.
While the study doesn’t suggest causation, it paints a strong picture of correlation between obesity, choline status, and inflammation earlier in one’s life. This link provides a possible explanation as to why metabolic disorders earlier in life increase the risk for being diagnosed with cognitive decline conditions later in one’s life.
The research underscores the importance of choline intake from dietary sources or supplementation to support healthy aging. Surveys show most people in the U.S. lack sufficient amounts of this vital nutrient.
The study once again highlights the detrimental effects of chronic inflammation on metabolic and neuronal health. This adds a sense of urgency to the research and development programs of firms like Soligenix Inc. (NASDAQ: SNGX) that are focused on bringing to market more efficacious therapies indicated for systemic inflammation.
Please see full terms of use and disclaimers on the BioMedWire website applicable to all content provided by BMW, wherever published or re-published: http://BMW.fm/Disclaimer
