Study sheds light on how Alzheimer's disease may contribute to larger health issues

A recent study from Houston Methodist sheds light on how Alzheimer's disease may contribute to larger health issues by hijacking the body's ability to regulate its metabolism. Researchers have discovered that along with the negative effects an Alzheimer's diagnosis brings, the disease can also sabotage messages between nerves and blood vessels in fat tissue, which can worsen heart and metabolic conditions such as stroke, heart disease and diabetes.

The first-of-its-kind research, "Alzheimer's disease disrupts intra-adipose neurovascular contact," appears in the Journal of Lipid Research and highlights a previously underexplored aspect of Alzheimer's: its potential to cause dysfunction of the autonomic (involuntary) nervous system extending beyond the brain. Led by Stephen Wong, Ph.D., the John S. Dunn Presidential Distinguished Chair in Biomedical Engineering, the study was conducted by his team at Houston Methodist, including key contributors Li Yang, Ph.D., a research associate, and Jianting Sheng, Ph.D., an assistant research professor of computational biology and mathematics in radiology.

Utilizing three-dimensional imaging and focusing on body fat in mouse models, the study's high-resolution images provide a groundbreaking visual perspective revealing how the disease changes the structure of nerve and blood vessel bundles. These include the sympathetic nerves and blood vessels which play a critical role in regulating fat metabolism through hormonal and neural signaling.

By disrupting the connection between the nervous system and fat tissue, the disease may impair the body's ability to manage energy."

Li Yang, Ph.D., research associate

This disturbance could help explain why individuals with Alzheimer's often experience issues such as stroke, heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure and other health troubles alongside cognitive decline.

"These insights open new avenues for research into how treating or preventing autonomic dysfunction might improve overall health outcomes for people with Alzheimer's," said Wong and Sheng.