Role of Insulin Resistance in the Alzheimer's Disease Progression

Neurochem Res. 2020 Jul;45(7):1481-1491. doi: 10.1007/s11064-020-03031-0. Epub 2020 Apr 20.

Abstract

Recent studies continue to find evidence linking Type 2 diabetes (T2D) with Alzheimer's disease (AD), the most common cause of dementia, a general term for memory loss and other cognitive abilities serious enough to interfere with daily life. Insulin resistance or dysfunction of insulin signaling is a universal feature of T2D, the main culprit for altered glucose metabolism and its interdependence on cell death pathways, forming the basis of linking T2D with AD as it may exacerbate Aβ accumulation, tau hyperphosphorylation and devastates glucose transportation, energy metabolism, hippocampal framework and promulgate inflammatory pathways. The current work demonstrates the basic mechanisms of the insulin resistance mediates dysregulation of bioenergetics and progress to AD as a mechanistic link between diabetes mellitus and AD. This work also aimed to provide a potential and feasible zone to succeed in the development of therapies in AD by enhanced hypometabolism and altered insulin signaling.

Keywords: Alzheimer’s disease; Glucose; Hypometaboilsm; Type 2 diabetes; Type 3 diabetes insulin.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Alzheimer Disease / blood*
  • Alzheimer Disease / diagnosis*
  • Alzheimer Disease / epidemiology
  • Animals
  • Blood Glucose / metabolism
  • Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / blood
  • Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / diagnosis
  • Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / epidemiology
  • Disease Progression*
  • Humans
  • Insulin Resistance / physiology*
  • Signal Transduction / physiology

Substances

  • Blood Glucose