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Could This Popular Joint Supplement Turn Mild Cognitive Impairment Into Dementia? New Study Finds Link

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The researchers identified a possible biological explanation involving a process called <a href="https://www.healthandme.com/health-wellness/brain-health-after-40-why-diabetes-menopause-and-early-detection-matter-world-alzheimers-day-article-156197603" data-type="tilCustomLink">glycosylation</a>. In simple terms, glycosylation involves attaching sugar structures to proteins. This is a normal process that helps proteins fold correctly, move around cells and perform their functions.

But the researchers found evidence that this process becomes excessively active in Alzheimer's disease. Their analysis suggested that glucosamine may intensify this abnormal “sugar-tagging” process in the brain. 

The researchers tested the idea in genetically modified mice. Glucosamine increased the attachment of sugar molecules to proteins inside brain cells. The subjected mice's ability to recognise familiar animals also worsened.

When researchers used a chemical treatment to suppress the sugar-attachment process, the mice showed improved memory performance.

This does not prove the same mechanism occurs in humans, but it gave researchers a possible biological explanation for the association seen in the health records. 

The researchers also examined brain tissue from people who had <a href="https://www.healthandme.com/health-wellness/alzheimers-day-why-can-a-patient-remember-an-event-from-decades-ago-but-forget-what-happened-this-morning-article-156193088" data-type="tilCustomLink">Alzheimer's</a> disease. They found significantly more sugar attachment to proteins in Alzheimer's brain tissue compared to tissue from people without the disease. Taken together, the health-record analysis, mouse experiments and human brain-tissue findings point toward a connection between altered metabolism and Alzheimer's progression. 

Despite the observation, a controlled clinical trial is needed to determine whether glucosamine itself accelerates Alzheimer's progression and whether certain patients are vulnerable.

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A widely used supplement for joint health has been linked to a faster Alzheimer's progression, raising questions about whether glucosamine could turn mild cognitive impairment into dementia. The study, published in Nature Metabolism, combined an analysis of health records of experiments involving human brain tissue and genetically modified mice. It showed that the supplement affected the brain in people already showing early signs of cognitive decline.The findings, however, do not prove that glucosamine increases the progression of Alzheimer’s disease faster in humans. What Is Glucosamine?Glucosamine is a sugar-related compound widely sold as an over-the-counter supplement for joint discomfort and joint health. It is also found naturally in cartilage. It is used by older adults, the same age group in which cognitive impairment and dementia become more common.Researchers at the University of Florida analysed health records collected between 2012 and 2024 to investigate whether glucosamine use was linked with Alzheimer's disease and related dementias."In the United States, there are about 7 million people living with Alzheimer's and millions more with related dementias such as Lewy body or frontotemporal dementia," said senior author Ramon Sun, Ph.D., Director of the Center for Advanced Spatial Biomolecule Research and associate director for innovation of UF's McKnight Brain Institute. "A lot of these people actively take an over-the-counter supplement that could be making their disease progression worse."Also read: Muscle Loss In Middle Age May Signal Dementia Risk, Study FindsWhat Were The Study's Findings? About 8% of patients in both groups were using glucosamine supplement. This included 2,750 people with mild cognitive impairment and 1,896 people who already had Alzheimer's disease or a related dementia.After accounting for age, sex and demographic factors, researchers found that people with mild cognitive impairment who used glucosamine had a 25% higher likelihood of progressing to dementia compared with those without documented use. Among people who already had Alzheimer's disease or a related dementia, glucosamine use was also associated with a 25% higher risk of death during the study period. However, these were findings were based on collective health records, not a controlled clinical trial.“The electronic health record data are very provocative,” said Matt Gentry, Ph.D., a study co-author. “While it's an association and not proof of causality, it does raise an important clinical question that now deserves much more attention.”Also read: Rabies Day Exclusive: ‘We Need To Target The Source’ For A Rabies-Free India By 2030, Says Veterinary Epidemiologist Glucosamine's Effects On Brain   The researchers identified a possible biological explanation involving a process called glycosylation. In simple terms, glycosylation involves attaching sugar structures to proteins. This is a normal process that helps proteins fold correctly, move around cells and perform their functions.But the researchers found evidence that this process becomes excessively active in Alzheimer's disease. Their analysis suggested that glucosamine may intensify this abnormal “sugar-tagging” process in the brain. The researchers tested the idea in genetically modified mice. Glucosamine increased the attachment of sugar molecules to proteins inside brain cells. The subjected mice's ability to recognise familiar animals also worsened.When researchers used a chemical treatment to suppress the sugar-attachment process, the mice showed improved memory performance.This does not prove the same mechanism occurs in humans, but it gave researchers a possible biological explanation for the association seen in the health records. The researchers also examined brain tissue from people who had Alzheimer's disease. They found significantly more sugar attachment to proteins in Alzheimer's brain tissue compared to tissue from people without the disease. Taken together, the health-record analysis, mouse experiments and human brain-tissue findings point toward a connection between altered metabolism and Alzheimer's progression. Despite the observation, a controlled clinical trial is needed to determine whether glucosamine itself accelerates Alzheimer's progression and whether certain patients are vulnerable.

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Could This Popular Joint Supplement Turn Mild Cognitive Impairment Into Dementia? New Study Finds Link

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Health Conditions A-Z

22-Year-Old Woman Undergoes Robotic Heart Surgery After Two Strokes and Months of Delayed Treatment

Could This Popular Joint Supplement Turn Mild Cognitive Impairment Into Dementia? New Study Finds Link

Muscle Loss In Middle Age May Signal Dementia Risk, Study Finds