Brain's Iron Stores May Be Key to Alzheimer's

A study published in Radiology suggests that the progression of Alzheimer's disease may accelerate as iron deposits accumulate in the brain, according to U.S. News & World Report . Analysis of magnetic resonance imaging scans of 200 older adults with and without Alzheimer's determined that those with Alzheimer's had higher iron levels in various parts of the brain. Moreover, 17 months later, subjects with Alzheimer's who had a greater iron accumulation over time also tended to exhibit faster mental decline. Experts said it remains unclear whether iron buildup helps worsen symptoms, but it adds to a body of evidence connecting such deposition to deteriorating thinking and memory. "Iron levels in the brain are like amyloid and tangles — a pathological feature that is associated with Alzheimer's," said Ashley Bush at Australia's Melbourne Dementia Research Center. He added that both genes and age are determinants of a person's brain iron level, and his research team has discovered that mutations in a gene for amyloid precursor protein appear to boost iron levels. "This study suggests there's some kind of connection between iron accumulation in the brain and cognitive deterioration, but we can't say yet whether the decline causes the iron buildup or the iron buildup causes the decline," noted Keith Fargo with the Alzheimer's Association.