- New research shows high levels of lean muscle might help protect against Alzheimer’s disease.
- However, further research is necessary to understand if this connection is causal.
- To achieve lean muscle mass, experts recommend resistance exercises and a healthy dose of dietary protein.
Previous research demonstrates the connection between
According to a study recently published in BMJ Medicine, high levels of lean muscle could help ward off Alzheimer’s disease. However, the study authors noted that more research is needed to understand the biological processes behind it.
In this study, researchers collected information on the genetic data, lean muscle mass, cognition and health data of 450,243 participants from the U.K. Biobank. They then looked for genetic associations between lean muscle mass and genetic variants using a technique known as Mendelian randomization.
Researchers used bioimpedance, an electric current that flows through the body at different rates to measure the amount of lean muscle and fat tissue in the arms and legs. They then found 584 genetic variants linked to lean muscle mass, although none of these were on a region of the genome known to code for a gene associated with increased Alzheimer’s disease risk.
However, researchers did find that those people who had high levels of lean muscle mass and associated genetic variants, the more the individual’s Alzheimer’s risk decreased.
These findings were verified in another cohort of 7,329 people with Alzheimer’s disease and 252,879 people without, researchers measured the amount of lean muscle mass and fat tissue in the torso and whole body.
Results showed that lean mass was linked with improved performance on cognitive tasks, but this connection didn’t explain the protective impact of lean mass on the development of Alzheimer’s.
“This study supports current recommendations to maintain a healthy lifestyle to prevent dementia. It is a…
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