Watch for unexplained weight loss in your elder parents, might be an indicator of Alzheimer's disease

New findings show unexplained weight loss that precedes dementia by more than 10 years is associated with the severity of Alzheimer changes in the brain. This might make it one of the first indicators of the disease.

Using data from the Nun Study, University of South Florida researcher James Mortimer, PhD, reported today that the most likely cause of the unexplained weight loss is the severity of the Alzheimer changes in the brain rather than an eating disorder or other condition associated with declining cognition.

Although a previous study showed that individuals with lower weight for their height at the time of death had more Alzheimer brain changes at autopsy, this is the first study to show that lower weight up to 10 years earlier is specifically related to the severity of the disease.

Unexplained weight loss late in life, when coupled with other biomarkers, may help to identify those at risk of Alzheimer’s disease more than a decade in the future. Identification of individuals who are at high risk of Alzheimer’s long before cognitive decline becomes evident will be critical to its prevention once agents become available to slow the disease, Dr. Mortimer said.

As soon as better treatments and cures are developed, early diagnosis will become increasingly critical making this discovery all the more important.