A new study has found that a medication widely used worldwide for joint pain may potentially accelerate the progression of Alzheimer’s disease.
According to research conducted by the University of Florida, study participants who showed early signs of impairment in memory and cognitive function and were using glucosamine supplements had a 25 percent higher risk of developing dementia compared to others.
The study, published in the journal Nature Metabolism, also found that among patients already suffering from Alzheimer’s disease or related brain disorders, glucosamine use was associated with a 25 percent increase in the risk of death.
Neuropsychologist Dr. Jessica McCarthy said that the research further supports the idea that Alzheimer’s is not solely the result of the accumulation of amyloid plaques and tau proteins in the brain, but that factors such as metabolic dysfunction and inflammation in the body also play an important role.
She explained that because glucosamine can cross the protective barrier between the blood and the brain, it may further accelerate metabolic processes that are already highly active in the brain. As a result, it could increase disease progression in individuals with early cognitive impairment and raise the risk of death among Alzheimer’s patients.
