HealthTree Blog

Alzheimer’s disease, a form of age-related dementia, is cause by deteriorating brain tissue. According to some studies, declining levels of testosterone and other sex hormones could play a part in the development of this disease.
About one-half of people over the age of 85 have Alzheimer’s. However, the condition is now a natural part of the aging process and not all people will develop the disease. Some of the symptoms of early Alzheimer’s can include: saying the same thing over and over again and putting things away in the wrong place.
Two proteins, Beta-amyloid and Tau are associated with Alzheimer’s. The Beta-amyloid protein can develop into clumps which lead to brain death in Alzheimer’s patients. Tau protein, the support structure for brain cells, twists into tangles and impair brain function.
Testosterone, the male sex hormone, declines after the age of 40. It has been shown in studies that the higher the testosterone declines the more likely it is that a man will develop Alzheimer’s. This is due to the fact that low testosterone can cause accumulation of beta-amyloid plaques in the brain. This form of testosterone is called “free testosterone”, which is not attached to any protein, thereby making it available to be used by the body’s cells. Memory retention and the ability to learn new skills are also impacted by the age-related decline of testosterone.
Since testosterone decrease can be one cause for Alzheimer’s in men, there has been ongoing research to determine if replacing testosterone could help with preventing Alzheimer’s. In mice research this replacement has shown some benefits, but in humans the results do not show a benefit. The use of testosterone replacement for Alzheimer’s in men remains a question that is still under study. As medical research continues, someday a prevention and cure for this dreaded disease may be found.