Insulin Resistance Linked to Brain Health

Whereas the main hormonal function of insulin is to support the uptake and use of glucose in muscles and fat tissues, insulin that reaches the brain enhances memory function.  Christian Benedict, from Uppsala University Sweden), and colleagues studied 331 men and women at the age of 75 years. The researchers measured the brain structure of each participant using magnetic imaging technology (MRT), and tested the subjects’ language skills by a verbal fluency test.  Among the subjects whose insulin sensitivity was still high, the brains were larger, and the subjects had more grey matter in regions that are important for language skills, as compared with those who had diminished insulin sensitivity. The team also observed that higher insulin sensitivity was associated with better scores on the language test. The study authors conclude that: “These cross-sectional findings suggest that both pharmacologic and lifestyle interventions improving insulin signaling may promote brain health in late life.”