An exercise-induced hormone linked to a range of benefits might add another to its repertoire: protection against Alzheimer’s disease.
A new paper, published in Nature Medicine, explains that the hormone irisin, released by our bodies when we exert ourselves, seems to offer protection against the associated with Alzheimer’s. In those with the disease, however, irisin levels are depleted. Boosting irisin levels through exercise, then, might be a way to stave off the disease.
Irisin gets released into our bodies when we use our muscles, and it helps convert fat into heat and energy. This newly-discovered function for the hormone expands its known uses into the mind, and might help explain why lifestyle factors like exercise seem to help .
The results offer new hope for human patients and their families waiting for an Alzheimer’s cure, said Ottavio Arancio, a researcher at Columbia University, who conducted the study in collaboration with ...
