Research

Hormonal

Insulin resistance promotes the development of Alzheimer's disease pathology through multiple interconnected mechanisms including reduced cerebral glucose metabolism, impaired amyloid-beta clearance via competition for insulin-degrading enzyme (IDE), and increased amylin deposition.

Maintaining metabolic health, specifically insulin sensitivity, is a critical strategy for reducing Alzheimer's risk. This involves managing blood sugar, avoiding excessive refined carbohydrates, and engaging in regular physical activity to improve insulin signaling. For those with existing insulin resistance or type 2 diabetes, aggressive management of these conditions may help protect brain health.

GoodSupportsHIGH confidence
This association may in part be due to the systemic mitochondrial dysfunction that is common to these pathologies... Accumulating evidence suggests that mitochondrial dysfunction is a significant feature of AD and may play a fundamental role in its pathogenesis.
Bryan J. Neth et al. · Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience · 2017

Why this rating

The paper is a review citing multiple human and animal studies, but it is not a primary clinical trial.

Source

Insulin Resistance and Alzheimer’s Disease: Bioenergetic Linkages

Bryan J. Neth et al. · Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience · 2017

DOI 10.3389/fnagi.2017.00345

narrative_reviewCited 265×
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DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10

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