A BLOOD TEST TO PREDICT ALZHEIMER’S?
One protein involved in insulin signaling is IRS-1, or insulin
receptor substrate 1. IRS-1 is believed to be a highly
sensitive marker of reduced insulin sensitivity in the brain.
Alzheimer’s patients tend to have higher levels of the
inactive form of this protein (and lower levels of the active
form) in their blood, so researchers from the National
Institute on Aging wondered whether a simple blood test
may be used to spot those at risk for developing
Alzheimer’s disease prior to the emergence of symptoms.
What they found was striking: higher levels of the inactive
form of IRS-1 (signifying impaired insulin signaling in the
brain) predicted Alzheimer’s disease development in
patients with 100 percent accuracy.^20 Even more
breathtaking, the difference in these blood markers was
evident ten years prior to the emergence of symptoms. This
suggests that maintaining the brain’s insulin sensitivity
throughout life may be a major step toward preventing the
disease.
How might we accomplish this? Start with the body.
Interventions that appear to improve the metabolic health of
the body, when begun early enough, appear to delay the
onset or worsening of dementia symptoms. And while
metabolic health is ultimately influenced by a myriad of
factors—sleep, stress, and nutrient deficiencies, to name a
few—the low-carb diet has now been validated as both safe
and effective for improving overall metabolic health in
dozens of randomized control trials.