Exercise Could Prevent Alzheimer's by Triggering Hormone Which Helps Regrow Brain Cells, Study Suggests

A study published in Nature Medicine found exercise might shield individuals from Alzheimer's by triggering a hormone that helps rejuvenate brain cells, reports the London Telegraph . The experiment showed that mice that swam almost every day for five weeks did not develop memory impairment, in spite of being administered beta amyloid protein. The implication is that a drug that mimics the function of the hormone irisin could prevent the disease. Previous research demonstrated that irisin promotes brain cell growth in the hippocampus, which is one of the first brain regions to deteriorate in people with Alzheimer's. Mice that swam and were treated with irisin-hindering substances performed no better on memory tests than sedentary animals following infusions with beta amyloid. "Irisin may help explain why physical activity improves memory and seems to play a protective role in brain disorders such as Alzheimer's disease," said Columbia University Professor Ottavio Arancio.