FHS News: Drs. Satizabal Barrera and Sokratis publication on Obesity and Alzheimer’s Disease

Dr. Satizabal Barrera and Dr. Sokratis investigated associations of obesity with the expression of Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) – related genes in a large community-based cohort.

Obesity is linked to a higher risk of dementia, but we don’t fully understand why. In this study, we wanted to investigate if obesity can influence the activity of genes implicated in Alzheimer’s disease. Understanding these patterns may help explain this link. We found that obesity (BMI and waist-to-hip ratio) were related to the expression of  ~30% of the queried AD genes. These effects were stronger for women and middle age participants. The stronger associations implicate the regulation of genes in charge of lipid transport and amyloid-beta clearing. We hope that these findings can lead the way to more studies focused on these mechanisms

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