The authors of this study examined the effects of glucose loading on plasma β-amyloid levels in Alzheimer and non-Alzheimer dementia patients. After fasting, an oral glucose load was administered to Alzheimer patients and non-Alzheimer dementia patients and measurements of blood glucose, plasma insulin, and plasma β-amyloid levels were taken. The results showed no differences in baseline levels of blood glucose, plasma insulin, and plasma β-amyloid between the two groups. However, immediately after glucose loading, a significant increase in plasma Aβ40 and Aβ42 levels was observed in Alzheimer patients. By contrast, a small decrease in plasma Aβ40 and Aβ42 levels was detected in non-Alzheimer dementia patients. The authors suggest that the different responses of plasma Aβ40 and Aβ42 to glucose loading in these two patient groups may have value as a potential diagnostic tool for Alzheimer’s disease.
Takeda S, Sato N, Uchio-Yamada K, Yu H, Moriguchi A, Rakugi H, Morishita R: Oral Glucose Loading Modulates Plasma β-Amyloid Level in Alzheimer’s Disease Patients: Potential Diagnostic Method for Alzheimer’s Disease. Dementia and Geriatric Cognitive Disorders 34(1): 25-30 (2012).
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22889768
Commentary in:
Nature Reviews Neurology [Epub ahead of print Sep 11, 2012, doi: 10.1038/nrneurol.2012.191] Alzheimer disease: Oral glucose loading-a novel diagnostic tool for AD?
