NEW YORK: Iron in the brain may play an important role in the development of Alzheimer’s disease, research has shown.
The findings suggest that lowering iron levels, possibly with a drug, could delay progression from mild loss of memory and thinking ability to Alzheimer’s.
But experts said the evidence was not strong enough to support the idea of a diagnostic iron test for individuals at risk of the disease.
Scientists measured levels of ferritin, an iron storage protein, in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of 302 people in their seventies.
They found that higher amounts of iron predicted poorer mental performance in healthy participants, those with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and Alzheimer’s patients.
Higher ferritin levels were associated with speedier progression from MCI to Alzheimer’s…