Insulin may help treat Alzheimer's disease study claims

The study, which involved 109 people with mild cognitive impairment or Alzheimer's disease, found that people treated with intranasal insulin showed improvements in some symptoms such as memory, although other symptoms were unchanged. The researchers also saw a reduction in the amount of key Alzheimer's proteins when they tested the spinal fluid of a small subset of participants.

Alzheimer's Society comment:

'There are 465,000 people living with Alzheimer's in the UK yet we still have very few proven ways of lessening the effects of the disease. This latest research suggests insulin may improve certain symptoms such as memory.'

'However, this is a very small preliminary study and we must be careful not to get carried away or expect to see an insulin-based treatment available anytime soon. One in three people over 65 will die with dementia. Much more research is needed to back up this latest study and to move us closer to establishing the causes and finding a cure for this devastating condition.'

Professor Clive Ballard
Director of Research
Alzheimer's Society