{
  "id": 20015239,
  "title": "New brain-body connections expand understanding of Alzheimer's disease",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/14/new-brain-body-connections-expand-understanding-of-alzheimers-disease",
  "topic": "health",
  "section": "Health & Medicine",
  "published": "2026-11-14T17:00:01.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Medical Xpress",
    "slug": "medical-xpress",
    "url": "https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-11-brain-body-alzheimer-disease.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Research presented at Neuroscience 2026, the annual meeting of the Society for Neuroscience, has revealed significant connections between physical health and brain health in the context of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Despite a century of study, AD remains an incurable condition affecting over 7 million Americans and 35-40 million people worldwide. Scientists are investigating various interrelated mechanisms that may contribute to AD, aiming to develop improved treatments.\n\nDr. Maiken Nedergaard, co-director of the Center for Translational Neuromedicine at the University of Rochester Medical Center, highlighted the multifaceted nature of these connections. She noted that physical systems like the gut, vasculature, and the brain's glymphatic system, which she discovered in 2012, play crucial roles. The glymphatic system is responsible for clearing waste from the brain.\n\nStudies have shown that gut permeability, or \"leaky gut,\" is correlated with higher blood amyloid levels in those with long COVID and reduced brain waste clearance in older adults, both linked to poorer cognition. Additionally, plastic-like particles have been detected in or around brain vessels in Alzheimer's tissue. Probiotic and prebiotic supplements have been found to prevent early learning and memory deficits in an Alzheimer's rat model, suggesting potential therapeutic avenues.",
  "summary": "Research on Alzheimer's disease (AD) and aging has found strong connections between physical health and brain health. These new connections were presented at Neuroscience 2026, the annual meeting of the Society for Neuroscience.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Free Malaysia Today",
        "title": "Type-2 diabetes may raise Alzheimer’s risk by 53%, study finds",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/14/type-2-diabetes-may-raise-alzheimers-risk-by-53-study-finds",
        "published": "2026-11-14T04:00:00.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}