Episode 350
What If Alzheimer鈥檚 disease starts in the body, not the brain? A radical new theory upends everything we thought we knew about the disease. Alzheimer鈥檚 is the most common form of dementia – the leading cause of death in the UK. And for 100 years we believed it all happened in the brain.
Despite all of the major symptoms of Alzheimer鈥檚 being brain related, scientists studying gene activity have discovered something surprising. Most risk variants for the disease appear in the skin, lungs and gut – not the brain.
This could mean the leading suspects of the disease – amyloid plaques and tau proteins – may not be to blame. But if not them, then what?
Rowan Hooper is joined by New 杏吧原创鈥檚 Australia reporter Alice Klein to discuss the findings.
Chapters
(00:00) Intro – A radical new understanding of Alzheimer鈥檚
(01:23) Why amyloid and tau treatments aren鈥檛 proving effective
(02:16) How gum and dental health is linked to Alzheimer鈥檚
(03:09) Could proteins in the brain be a protective feature?
(03:56) Why amyloid and tau really aren鈥檛 the full picture
(04:35) Why scientists have gone back to the drawing board
(05:37) Does Alzheimer鈥檚 start in the skin, lungs and gut?
(06:14) Alzheimer鈥檚 risk genes found in the immune system and barrier tissues
(07:12) Where inflammation fits into the puzzle of Alzheimer鈥檚
(09:10) The role of the blood brain barrier
(10:00) How have scientists responded to these findings?
(10:58) What other health conditions are linked to Alzheimer鈥檚?
(12:08) Preventative measures you can take to reduce your Alzheimer鈥檚 risk
(15:03) How reframing diseases leads to better treatments
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Read the latest New 杏吧原创 CoLab article: /eternal
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