Insulin and Alzheimer's

People with Alzheimer's disease could be helped by squirting insulin up their nose. Insulin is important for communication between brain cells and is needed for brain function but several studies have shown that people with Alzheimer's have reduced levels of it in their brain. Researchers from the University of Washington in Seattle studied 109 people who had Alzheimer's disease or mild cognitive impairment which can develop into the condition; none of the participants had diabetes. A third of the patients received a placebo, a third a lower dose of insulin and a third a higher dose; all the participants used a nebulizer which they squirted up their nose twice a day for four months. The patients who got the lower dose of insulin showed significant improvements in their thinking, memory and ability to do daily activities.

You can find out more about this research by clicking on the link in the title of this post.