In a recent study published within the journal Nutrients, researchers evaluate the modulatory effects of lifestyle changes, including eating regimen and physical activity (PA), on micro-ribonucleic acid (miRNA) expression in patients with Alzheimer’s disease (AD).

Study: Modulation of microRNAs through Lifestyle Changes in Alzheimer’s Disease. Image Credit: SUPREEYA.CH / Shutterstock.com

An outline of Alzheimer’s disease

By 2050, the United Nations predicts that over 1.5 billion people throughout the world shall be over the age of 65. This aging global population will inevitably increase the prevalence of assorted diseases, including cancer, cardiovascular and metabolic diseases, and dementia.

AD, essentially the most common variety of dementia, is related to the progressive and chronic lack of cognitive function. Among the most notable risk aspects for AD include older age, the presence of the apolipoprotein E4 (APOE4) gene, and family history.

A key feature of AD is the extracellular accumulation of amyloid beta (Aβ) plaques, followed by the intracellular aggregation of the hyperphosphorylated tau protein that eventually forms neurofibrillary tangles. Thus, a major proportion of AD research has been dedicated to approaches that may facilitate Aβ clearance.

How do lifestyle aspects contribute to AD?

A healthy lifestyle has been related to as much as a 60% reduced risk of late-onset AD, with modifiable risk aspects for the disease, including obesity in middle age and a sedentary lifestyle. Likewise, certain diets appear to guard cognitive function and support healthy aging, essentially the most notable of which include the Mediterranean eating regimen, Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH), and a mixture of the 2 often known as the Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay (MIND) eating regimen.  

Several dietary components have been shown to cut back the buildup of Aβ or support the clearance of those plaques, along with preserving brain health through other mechanisms. Polyphenolic compounds, for instance, appear to cut back the aggregation of Aβ plaques, whereas omega-3 fatty acids may facilitate Aβ clearance, in addition to reduce inflammation and neuronal loss.

Along with eating regimen, PA can be widely supported by the World Health Organization (WHO) as a way of life approach that may prevent and delay the onset of dementia. Normally, two to a few 30-60-minute sessions of PA each week for at the very least two months, which involve each endurance and muscle strengthening exercises, have successfully improved the cognitive function and neuropsychiatric symptoms of AD patients.

Progressive stages in the event of AD

What are miRNAs?

Several mechanisms appear to contribute to the mechanisms by which PA supports brain health, a few of which include improved cognitive reserve and Aβ clearance. Nevertheless, the precise molecular mechanisms underlying this protective effect haven’t been determined.

MiRNAs are short non-coding RNA molecules which are typically between 20-22 nucleotides in length. Furthermore, miRNAs take part in various biological processes, including the regulation of gene expression and certain disease processes.

Within the context of AD, miRNAs have been implicated in several related pathways, including autophagy, synapsis, neuroinflammation, and cognitive function. In actual fact, one study has reported that each blood and brain samples obtained from AD patients exhibit significantly dysregulated expression of certain miRNAs involved in neuroinflammatory processes and Tau hyperphosphorylation.

AD, lifestyle aspects, and miRNAs

Previous studies have reported that each eating regimen and PA can modulate miRNA expression; nevertheless, more research is required to elucidate the connection between these lifestyle aspects and miRNA within the pathogenesis of AD.

The researchers of the present study weren’t capable of discover any publications which have analyzed the impact of dietary patterns on miRNA expression in AD. Likewise, few studies have examined the role of exercise on miRNA expression in AD patients and murine models of AD. In actual fact, many of the studies which have examined this relationship are related to quite a few limitations, including a scarcity of details regarding the exercise protocol and the incorporation of each men and girls in treatment groups, which prevents gender-specific effects of exercise from being considered.

Conclusions

Many studies have confirmed the advantages of eating regimen, exercise, and cognitive training in stopping the event of AD. Although the dysregulated expression of miRNAs has been implicated in AD, few studies have investigated how eating regimen and PA may modulate the expression of miRNAs to stop AD. Reasonably, most studies have as a substitute attributed the advantages of those lifestyle aspects to their role in mitigating angiogenesis, cell proliferation, and tumor growth metastasis, in addition to supporting neuronal regeneration.