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Photo: Kaylee Pugliese
Could exposure to metals impact a person’s risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease or cognitive aging? Researchers at UMass Chan Medical School are hoping to answer that question through a $4.1 million grant from the National Institutes of Health.
Honghuang Lin, PhD, professor of medicine and co-director of the Program in Digital Medicine at UMass Chan, is leading the study. Dr. Lin and his colleagues will analyze blood samples and health data from more than 3,000 participants in the long-term Framingham Heart Study. The researchers will measure 18 metals, including cadmium, zinc and manganese, to investigate whether those metal levels are associated with cognitive decline, changes seen in brain structures, and the development of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias.
"Some metals are known to affect the nervous system, while others are essential for normal brain function," said Lin. "What we don't yet understand is how metal exposure and the body's processing of metals interact with genetics and other biological factors to influence cognitive aging and Alzheimer's disease risk."
Because participants in the Framingham Heart Study have been followed for more than seven decades, researchers have a rare opportunity to analyze blood samples and investigate whether metal levels earlier in life could be linked to brain health as people age.
Alzheimer’s is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects more than 7 million Americans age 65 or older, according to the Alzheimer’s Association, and that number is projected to rise to almost 14 million by 2060.
As the population ages, findings from the study “could help guide future efforts to protect brain health and reduce the burden of Alzheimer's disease,” Lin said.
