Health
Alzheimer’s patients divided into 5 subgroups, potentially enabling ‘personalized medicine,’ study finds
Researchers have identified a total of five subgroups among Alzheimer’s patients, according to a new study published in the journal Nature Aging on Jan. 9.
Different groups may require different treatment options, as noted in a press release from Alzheimer Center Amsterdam, Amsterdam UMC and Maastricht University.
“Previously, it was thought that Alzheimer’s disease is one disease, and that treatments being developed will work similarly for all individuals,” lead researcher Betty Tijms, associate professor of neuroscience and brain imaging at Amsterdam UMC, told Fox News Digital in an email.
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“We found that patients with Alzheimer’s disease differ in the biological processes involved — which means that possibly treatments will only work for a subgroup of patients.”
In the study, the researchers analyzed 1,058 proteins in the cerebrospinal fluid of 419 people with Alzheimer’s disease from studies at the Alzheimer Center Amsterdam.
Researchers have identified a total of five subgroups among Alzheimer’s patients, according to a new study published in the journal Nature Aging. Different groups may require different treatment options. (iStock)
They identified five different variants, according to the release describing the findings.
The first group had increased amyloid production in the brain, which results in a buildup of plaques that impede cognitive function, a hallmark of Alzheimer’s.
“This may explain why some patients respond better to some treatments.”
A second group was found to have a disruption in the blood-brain barrier, reduced amyloid production and less growth of nerve cells.
The remaining groups showed differences in protein synthesis, immune system function and cerebrospinal fluid production, the researchers noted.
Some of the groups were found to have faster progression of symptoms than others.
In the study, the researchers (not pictured) analyzed 1,058 proteins in the cerebrospinal fluid of 419 people with Alzheimer’s disease from studies at the Alzheimer Center Amsterdam. (iStock)
In an earlier, smaller study, the researchers found three subtypes (aberrant neuroplasticity, innate immune activation and blood-brain barrier dysfunction), Tijms noted.
“In our new, larger dataset, we again found those three subtypes, but also two new subtypes, with underlying processes that we did not expect to find beforehand,” she said.
One of those new subtypes was rare, including only 6% of the patients — but it had the worst disease prognosis, the researcher said.
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“This subtype had problems with protein synthesis,” she said. “The other subtype had impairment of the choroid plexus, which is the organ in the brain that produces cerebrospinal fluid.”
The study did have some limitations, the researchers acknowledged.
“While we expect that subtypes may have different response to treatment, we were not yet able to demonstrate this, because we need access to cerebrospinal fluid samples from existing drug trials,” noted Tijms.
“We hope to test this in future studies.”
Based on the new findings about Alzheimer’s, treatment response and side effects could differ between patients from different subtypes, the researchers said. (iStock)
Additionally, the study was performed among relatively young patients, with an average age of 66 years.
“Subtypes may be different at older ages, as the majority of patients with AD are 80 years and older),” Pieter Jelle Visser, associate professor of neuroscience at Amsterdam UMC, told Fox News Digital.
Based on these findings, researchers involved in treatment development should take into account that treatment response and side effects could differ between patients from different subtypes, Visser noted.
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“For example, they could define the subtypes of patients to identify the ones who best respond to the trial,” he said. “This could also be done with samples that already have been collected in previous trials.”
Researchers could also test novel treatments only in a subtype that is likely to respond to the treatment, Tijms added, such as testing immune treatment in the subtype with immune activation.
“Each subgroup may need its own treatment, or version of a treatment, or combination of treatments, in order to be effective with the least side effects,” said a doctor from the Alzheimer’s Association. (iStock)
Dr. Kirk C. Wilhelmsen, professor of neurology and chief of cognitive neurology at West Virginia University Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute, said this research is an “important paper,” but noted that it’s not ready to be implemented in clinical practice.
Wilhelmsen was not involved in the study.
“This may explain why some patients respond better to some treatments,” he told Fox News Digital. “It may salvage some drugs that have failed in clinical trials.”
Researchers said the hope is that the identification of these subgroups may salvage some drugs that have failed in clinical trials. (iStock)
Dr. Claire Sexton, senior director of scientific programs and outreach at the Alzheimer’s Association in Chicago, noted in a statement to Fox News Digital that while there are common brain changes that define Alzheimer’s, the experience of the disease varies from person to person.
“Now we are learning more about how some aspects of the biology of Alzheimer’s may also be different for different patients,” said Sexton, who was also not a participant in the Amsterdam research.
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“This includes differences in symptoms, the speed of progression and response to treatments,” she went on.
“Research that gives us a better understanding of the biology of Alzheimer’s disease can … inform therapeutic possibilities and drug development, and may advance the field toward personalized medicine approaches.”
A patient who suffers from Alzheimer’s is shown preparing to receive a PET scan at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital in Washington, D.C., on June 20, 2023. (Michael Robinson Chávez/The Washington Post via Getty Images)
If these subtypes are validated and confirmed, Sexton said, they may help to explain why some individuals do or do not respond to certain treatments, or experience different types and severity of side effects.
“Each subgroup may need its own treatment, or version of a treatment, or combination of treatments, in order to be effective with the least side effects,” she said.
To confirm these findings, Sexton called for additional research with larger study groups that “accurately represent the diversity of the at-risk and affected populations.”
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Scientists have linked eating leafy green vegetables such as spinach, kale and broccoli to better lung health.
There are two primary forms of vitamin K found in foods. The primary kind is vitamin K1, found mainly in vegetables, which plays a major role in the body’s blood-clotting process.
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Vitamin K2 is found in fermented foods, certain dairy products, eggs and meats and helps regulate calcium in the body and supports bone health.
Researchers at Australia’s Edith Cowan University examined whether dietary intake of vitamins K1 and K2 was associated with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), asthma and lung function.
Leafy green vegetables are high in vitamin K1, a nutrient that researchers have observed conributes to improved lung health. (iStock)
“Chronic respiratory diseases, including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and asthma, are among the most prevalent noncommunicable diseases worldwide and were the third leading cause of death in 2019, accounting for 4 million deaths and affecting 454.6 million individuals globally,” the scientists reported in the introduction to their study, published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
“Although asthma and COPD can be managed with available treatments, neither condition is curable, underscoring the need for effective prevention strategies,” they added.
The leading cause of COPD is smoking, the Mayo Clinic reported. Exposure to other irritants, such as dust, chemicals and pollution, can also cause it.
The researchers analyzed data from 179,062 participants over a 10-and-a-half-year period and concluded that, “Higher dietary vitamin K1 intake was associated with better lung function and a lower rate of COPD.”
Researchers found that people who increased their vitamin K1 intake were less likely to develop COPD. (iStock)
Participants who consumed the most vitamin K1 had a 16% lower likelihood of COPD, the researchers observed. The effects were more pronounced in smokers and participants with high-risk occupations.
Consumption of vitamin K2 did not result in lower COPD rates.
“No association was observed for vitamin K1 or vitamin K2 intakes and asthma,” the researchers also wrote.
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Associate Professor Marc Sim, who was involved in the study, said that it’s likely Vitamin K activates a protein that may help keep lung tissue flexible and prevent damage.
Because the study was observational, it cannot prove that vitamin K1 directly reduces COPD risk, only that higher intake was associated with better lung health.
Researchers have associated higher consumption of leafy green vegetables with better lung function. (iStock)
Just one extra serving of leafy greens “is an achievable way to boost your vitamin K1 intake,” said Chengfeng Li, one of the study’s researchers.
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Other foods rich in vitamin K1 include collard greens, Swiss chard, Brussels sprouts and turnip greens.
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Health
Switching from cigarettes to vapes linked to higher risk of major eye diseases, large study finds
US cigarette smoking drops to record low, vaping and nicotine pouch use surges
Fox News medical analyst Dr. Marc Siegel discusses a New England Journal of Medicine study reporting US adult cigarette smoking rates dropped to a record low of 9.9% in 2024. Siegel warns about the addictive nature of vaping and nicotine pouches, which contain high levels of nicotine. He expresses concern over potential GI tract and heart issues, stressing social media’s role in promoting these products to younger generations.
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Switching from cigarettes to electronic vapes is often seen as a healthier move, but a massive nationwide study published in the American Journal of Ophthalmology suggests that smokeless alternatives could increase the risk of serious eye diseases compared to quitting nicotine altogether.
Researchers from the Korea University College of Medicine in Seoul, South Korea, analyzed health data from a group of 179,273 adults through the Korean National Health Insurance Service, according to a press release.
All participants had smoked traditional cigarettes between 2011 and 2012 and then quit smoking by 2018 or 2019, they reported.
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To ensure a fair comparison, the researchers paired up participants who shared similar backgrounds, including their age, gender, medical history, existing health conditions and general lifestyle habits.
Switching from cigarettes to electronic vapes is often seen as a healthier move, but a large study suggests it could pose a risk to eye health. (iStock)
This process created a balanced group of 32,316 matched participants, who were divided into two categories: complete quitters who stopped using all nicotine products and those who transitioned to smokeless nicotine products, such as vapes.
The researchers followed the participants for an average of 4.6 years to determine whether they developed eye conditions, including cataracts, glaucoma, age-related macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy and focus-related eyesight disorders.
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Over the tracking period, the group experienced a total of 6,328 major eye disease events. People who quit nicotine entirely had the lowest disease rate in the study, at 41.1 cases per 1,000 person-years (a measure that accounts for both the number of people in the study and how long they were followed).
In comparison, that rate rose to 44 cases for individuals who had switched over to smokeless alternatives like vapes.
The people included in the study were divided into two main categories: complete quitters who stopped using all nicotine products, and switchers who transitioned to smokeless tobacco or nicotine products, like vapes. (iStock)
Ultimately, the data showed that switching to alternative nicotine products carried a steady 7% increased risk of serious eye diseases compared to quitting nicotine completely.
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Most notably, those who switched faced a 24% higher risk of developing diabetic retinopathy, a condition that damages the blood vessels in the light-sensitive tissue at the back of the eye.
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Additionally, those who ditched cigarettes for vapes had a 7% higher risk of developing refractive and accommodation disorders, which affect the eye’s ability to focus clearly.
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“These findings challenge the assumption that substituting noncombustible nicotine or tobacco products for conventional cigarettes is visually harmless,” the researchers noted.
“These findings challenge the assumption that substituting noncombustible nicotine or tobacco products for conventional cigarettes is visually harmless,” the researchers noted. (iStock)
The authors did point out a few limitations of the research. Because this was a study looking back at health insurance data, it cannot definitively prove that vaping directly causes eye damage.
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Additionally, the study relied on people filling out questionnaires about their own smoking and vaping habits, which can sometimes lead to underreporting or simple memory errors.
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Still, the researchers concluded the findings suggest that replacing cigarettes with alternative nicotine products may not eliminate the risk of certain eye diseases.
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