Health
Alzheimer’s disease found to be transmitted through medical procedures decades ago, study finds
Alzheimer’s disease has been considered something that happens from within, generally speaking — but for the first time, researchers have identified cases that were triggered by a specific medical treatment.
The most common type of dementia, Alzheimer’s is caused by a buildup of amyloid proteins in the brain, with risk factors including age, family history, unhealthy lifestyle behaviors and certain medical conditions.
But in a study published in Nature Medicine, researchers from the University College London (UCL) linked growth hormone treatments to the development of Alzheimer’s, according to a UCL press release.
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The researchers studied patients who received a type of human growth hormone that was extracted from the pituitary glands of deceased people (c-hGH).
The c-hGH has been shown to lead to greater amounts of amyloid-beta protein in the brain, the researchers found.
The researchers (not pictured) studied patients who received a type of human growth hormone that was extracted from the pituitary glands of deceased people (c-hGH). (iStock)
Of eight people studied who were treated with c-hGH as children, five developed symptoms of dementia and had already been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s or met the criteria of the disease.
All of them were between ages 38 and 55 when they began experiencing symptoms of cognitive decline, the paper indicated. Genetic testing confirmed that the early disease was not inherited.
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“We have found that it is possible for amyloid-beta pathology to be transmitted and contribute to the development of Alzheimer’s disease,” said first author Dr. Gargi Banerjee, a researcher at the UCL Institute of Prion Diseases, in the press release.
“This transmission occurred following treatment with a now-obsolete form of growth hormone, and involved repeated treatments with contaminated material, often over several years,” he went on.
“There is no suggestion whatsoever that Alzheimer’s disease can be transmitted between individuals during activities of daily life or routine medical care.”
The researchers emphasized that Alzheimer’s disease cannot be transmitted from person-to-person contact.
“There is no suggestion whatsoever that Alzheimer’s disease can be transmitted between individuals during activities of daily life or routine medical care,” said the lead author of the research, Professor John Collinge, director of the UCL Institute of Prion Diseases and a consultant neurologist at UCLH, in the release.
“The patients we have described were given a specific and long-discontinued medical treatment that involved injecting patients with material now known to have been contaminated with disease-related proteins,” he added.
Amyloid deposition in brain tissue, seen in post-mortem analysis, as captured by University College London researchers. (University College London)
The type of growth hormone treatment named in the study was suspended in 1985 when it was found to cause Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) in some people.
CJD is a degenerative brain disorder that causes dementia and death.
The findings should be used to help prevent any “accidental transmission via other medical or surgical procedures” in the future, Coolidge stated.
Fox News Digital reached out to the UCL team requesting additional comment.
The most common type of dementia, Alzheimer’s is caused by a buildup of amyloid proteins in the brain. (REUTERS/Brian Snyder/File Photo)
Dr. Rehan Aziz, a geriatric psychiatrist with Jersey Shore University Medical Center, was not involved in the study but recognized that the paper shows potential evidence for a “very rare but transmissible form” of Alzheimer’s disease.
“The study describes just five Alzheimer’s patients out of the more than 1,800 people who were known to have received growth hormone in this way,” Aziz noted.
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“Remarkably, the patients all developed Alzheimer’s dementia at young ages, though several of them had complicated histories that may have contributed.”
The unusually young age at which these patients developed symptoms suggested they did not have the usual form of Alzheimer’s associated with old age, Aziz said.
“The research raises the question of whether beta-amyloid protein can propagate itself, leading to cascading memory loss and worsening Alzheimer’s pathology,” he added.
A man who suffers from Alzheimer’s prepares to receive a PET scan. (Michael Robinson Chávez/The Washington Post via Getty Images)
Christopher Weber, PhD, director of global science initiatives at the Alzheimer’s Association, was also not involved in the UNC research but reiterated that Alzheimer’s is not contagious.
“You can’t catch Alzheimer’s by taking care of someone with Alzheimer’s,” he told Fox News Digital. “Alzheimer’s disease is not transmissible through the air, or by touching or being near someone with Alzheimer’s.”
“We shouldn’t put amyloid-beta into people’s brains, either accidentally or on purpose.”
In analyzing the study, Weber noted a few limitations.
“Based on the handful of cases they examined, the authors propose the idea of a ‘rare acquired’ Alzheimer’s, a third explanation for the beginnings of the disease along with sporadic Alzheimer’s and genetic Alzheimer’s,” he said.
“However, the study population (eight in this paper) is very small, and these are the only known cases in the literature. Thus, this possible third type of Alzheimer’s is a novel idea, but needs replication and confirmation to add credibility.”
“You can’t catch Alzheimer’s by taking care of someone with Alzheimer’s,” an expert told Fox News Digital. “Alzheimer’s disease is not transmissible through the air, or by touching or being near someone with Alzheimer’s.” (iStock)
The possibility of creating abnormal amyloid buildup isn’t new, Weber noted, as it’s been demonstrated via injections into animals’ brains.
“We also transfer human Alzheimer’s genes into animals to initiate abnormal, Alzheimer’s-like processes in their brains — but these things do not happen in daily life or in routine medical procedures,” he said. “They are extraordinary occurrences.”
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Although the type of transmission of amyloid beta identified in the UNC study is rare, Weber emphasized that “the scientific and clinical communities must understand the possible risks and ensure that all methods of pathogen transmission are eliminated.”
One of these methods is the “complete and conscientious sterilization of surgical instruments,” Weber said, which is common practice today.
“Bottom line: We shouldn’t put amyloid-beta into people’s brains, either accidentally or on purpose,” he said. “And appropriate measures should be in place to ensure that doesn’t happen.”
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Americans consume foods every day that are marketed as “healthy,” when they could be quietly destroying their health, one doctor warns.
Dr. Mark Hyman, physician and co-founder of Function Health in California, says that much of America’s daily diet is filled with unhealthy ingredients.
“The amount of refined starches and sugars that are everywhere is just staggering to me, given what we know about how harmful they are,” he shared in an interview with Fox News Digital. “I don’t think people really understand.”
Hyman, author of the new book “Food Fix Uncensored,” said he’s “astounded” by what people are eating, especially for breakfast.
“People just eat sugar for breakfast,” he said. “They have muffins, they have bagels, they have croissants, they have sugar-sweetened coffees and teas.”
Dr. Mark Hyman is the author of the new book “Food Fix Uncensored.” (Function Health; Little, Brown Spark)
In addition to the traditionally sweet options for breakfast, some cereal brands and breakfast staples have adopted new “protein-packed” menu items and products, following health trends that encourage eating more protein.
“Highly processed food is not food.”
“Now, we’re seeing this halo of protein in certain things,” Hyman said, mentioning that many protein smoothies are “full of sugar.”
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The doctor also noted that some popular cereals are now marketed as having protein in them. “My joke is, if it has a health claim on the label, it’s definitely bad for you,” he said.
Instead of starting the day with a “quick fix” or processed food, Hyman suggests choosing whole sources of protein and fat for breakfast, adding that “if there’s a little carbohydrate in there, it’s fine.”
More products marketed as “high protein” have cropped up on supermarket shelves. (iStock)
For his own breakfast, Hyman said he has a protein shake with whey protein, avocado and frozen berries. Eggs and avocados are also a great protein-and-fat combo option, he added.
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“It’s not that complicated — people need to just think about their breakfast not being dessert,” he said. “No wonder we’re in this cycle of obesity and diabetes. One in three teenage kids now has type 2 diabetes or pre-diabetes. That’s just criminal.”
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Instead of counting calories and being in a caloric deficit as a way to lose weight and stay healthy, Hyman instead suggests focusing on how certain foods make you feel and how they impact your health.
“When you look at the way in which different types of calories affect your biology, you can just choose what you’re eating, and then you don’t have to worry about how much,” he told Fox News Digital.
In addition to the traditionally sweet options for breakfast, some cereal brands and breakfast staples have adopted new “protein-packed” menu items and products. (iStock)
“For example, if you eat a diet that doesn’t cause your insulin to spike — which is low in starch and sugar, higher in protein and fat — you won’t develop those swings in blood sugar, you won’t develop the spikes in insulin, you won’t deposit hungry fat … You will break that cycle.”
People are more likely to “self-regulate when they eat real food” instead of processed foods, which “bypasses the normal mechanisms of satiety, fullness and brain chemistry,” according to Hyman.
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“Ultraprocessed food and junk food or highly processed food is not food,” he said. “It doesn’t support the health and well-being of an organism. It doesn’t do that. It does the opposite.”
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Small fragments of plastic were found in the tumors of most prostate cancer patients, according to a new study from NYU Langone Health.
In past studies, microplastics have been found in almost every human organ and in bodily fluids, but their impact on human health still isn’t fully understood.
The researchers analyzed tissue samples from 10 patients with prostate cancer who underwent surgery to remove the entire organ.
Using visuals of both benign samples and tumor samples, as well as specialized equipment, the scientists identified plastic particles in 90% of the tumor samples and 70% of benign tissue samples, according to the study press release.
In past studies, microplastics were found in almost every single human organ along with bodily fluids, even the placenta. (iStock)
The cancerous tissue contained on average more than double the amount of plastic as healthy prostate tissue samples, the study found. This equates to about 40 micrograms of plastic per gram of tissue compared to 16 micrograms.
Researchers avoided contaminating the samples with other plastics by substituting standard tools with those made of aluminum, cotton and other non-plastic material, the release noted.
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The scientists say this is the first direct evidence linking microplastics to prostate cancer.
“By uncovering yet another potential health concern posed by plastic, our findings highlight the need for stricter regulatory measures to limit the public’s exposure to these substances, which are everywhere in the environment,” said senior study author Vittorio Albergamo, assistant professor in the department of pediatrics at NYU Grossman School of Medicine, in the release.
Using visuals of both benign samples and tumor samples, as well as specialized equipment, the scientists identified plastic particles in 90% of the tumor samples and 70% of benign tissue samples. (iStock)
The study findings were presented during the American Society of Clinical Oncology’s Genitourinary Cancers Symposium in San Francisco on Feb. 26.
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“What is most striking is not that microplastics were detected, but that they were found embedded within tumor tissue itself,” Dr. David Sidransky, oncologist and medical advisor at SpotitEarly, a startup that offers an at-home breath-based test to detect early-stage cancer, told Fox News Digital.
“While complete avoidance is unrealistic, people can take practical steps to reduce exposure.”
“We already know microplastics are present in water, air, blood and even placental tissue. Their detection in prostate tumors suggests systemic distribution and long-term bioaccumulation,” added Maryland-based Sidransky, who was not involved in the study.
Study limitations
Albergamo cautioned that a larger sample is needed to confirm the findings. Additionally, Sidransky noted that the presence of microplastics alone does not prove they cause cancer.
“Tumors can act as ‘biologic sinks,’ meaning they may accumulate circulating particles simply because of altered vasculature and permeability,” he said.
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A key unanswered question, according to the doctor, is whether microplastics are biologically active in ways that “promote DNA damage, immune modulation or chronic inflammation within the prostate.”
About one in eight men in the U.S. will be diagnosed with prostate cancer at some point in their lifetime, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The most actionable step men can take is appropriate screening and early detection, according to doctors. (iStock)
For those concerned about microplastics, Sidransky offered some insights.
“I believe the appropriate response is curiosity, not panic, and a commitment to understand more,” he said.
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“While complete avoidance is unrealistic, people can take practical steps to reduce exposure, such as minimizing heating food in plastic containers, reducing bottled water consumption when possible, and favoring glass or stainless steel alternatives.”
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The most actionable step men can take, however, is getting appropriate screenings to help ensure early detection, according to the doctor. Screening discussions should be individualized based on age, family history and other risk factors.
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