Can leptin help individuals with Alzheimer’s?
Almost every week there is news about leptin. This small peptide hormone
discovered about 12 years ago is still looking for a disease it can cure or
prevent. In the past leptin has been promoted as a cure for aging, help with weight
loss, improving depression, increasing libido and cognition. Now there is news
that fat hormone may help prevent Alzheimer’s dementia (AD).
In one recent study, scientists observed that higher leptin levels were
associated with a lower incidence of Alzheimer's and all other forms of dementia. At least ¼ of
the study who had the lowest leptin levels had a 25% risk of developing AD over
a 12-year period. On the other hand those with high levels of leptin had a much
lower incidence of developing AD. Moreover, lower leptin levels were also
linked to a decrease in brain size.
As a final note, all consumers should know that there is no correlation
between levels of leptin and AD. Even though low levels of leptin have been
found in patients with AD, this is by no means a universal or reproducible finding.
Over the past decade, Leptin supplements have been widely sold in many
health food stores and experts believe that these are fake pills. Even though
leptin is heavily marketed as a weight loss
agent, there is no proof in humans that it does what the vendors of the
products claim. At least for now, the only thing leptin can reduce is the
weight of your hard earned money.
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