Risk Of Alzheimer's Disease Reduced By Cabernet Sauvignon Red Wine

Main Category: Alzheimer's / Dementia
Also Included In: Neurology / Neuroscience;  Preventive Medicine;  Alcohol / Addiction / Illegal Drugs
Article Date: 21 Sep 2006 - 6:00 PDT

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A new study directed by Mount Sinai School of Medicine has found that moderate red wine consumption in a form of Cabernet Sauvignon may help reduce the incidence of Alzheimer's Disease (AD). The study entitled "Moderate Consumption of Cabernet Sauvignon Attenuates a-amyloid Neuropathology in a Mouse Model of Alzheimer's Disease" is in press, and will be published in the November 2006 issue of The FASEB Journal. The breakthrough study was presented at the "Society for Neuroscience Meeting" held in Atlanta, Georgia, October 14-18, 2006.

"Our study is the first to report that moderate consumption of red wine in a form of Cabernet Sauvignon delivered in the drinking water for 7 months significantly reduces AD-type a-amyloid neuropathology, and memory deterioration in 11-month-old transgenic mice that model AD," reported researchers Dr. Giulio Maria Pasinetti and Dr. Jun Wang at Mount Sinai. "This study supports epidemiological evidence indicating that moderate wine consumption, within the range recommended by the FDA dietary guidelines of one drink per day for women and two for men, may help reduce the relative risk for AD clinical dementia."

"This new breakthrough is another step forward in Alzheimer's research at Mount Sinai and across the globe for this growing health concern that has devastating effects," say Giulio Maria Pasinetti, M.D., Ph.D., Professor of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, Director of the Neuroinflammation Research Center at Mount Sinai School of Medicine and lead author of the study and Dr. Jun Wang, Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and co-Author of the study. "These findings give researchers and millions of families a glimpse of light at the end of the long dark tunnel for future prevention of this disease."

People with AD exhibit elevated levels of beta-amyloid peptides that cause plaque buildup in the brain, which is the main characteristic of AD. An estimated 4.5 million Americans have AD. Presently, there are no known cures or effective preventive strategies. While genetic factors are responsible in early-onset cases, they appear to play less of a role in late-onset-sporadic AD cases, the most common form of AD. However, lifestyle factors such as diet and now moderate wine consumption are receiving increasing attention for its potential preventative impact on AD.

Using mice, with AD-type a-amyloid (Aa) neuropathology, researchers at Mount Sinai tested whether moderate consumption of the red wine Cabernet Sauvignon changes AD-type neuropathology and cognitive deterioration. The wine used was delivered in a final concentration of approximately 6% ethanol. It was found that Cabernet Sauvignon significantly reduced AD-type deterioration of spatial memory function and Aa neuropathology in mice relative to control mice that were treated with either a comparable amount of ethanol or water alone. Cabernet Sauvignon was found to exert a beneficial effect by promoting non-amyloidogenic processing of amyloid precursor protein, which ultimately prevents the generation of AD a-amyloid neuropathology.

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This study was done in collaboration with Dr. Susan S. Percival at the University of Florida's Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition Department.

Mount Sinai School of Medicine

Located in Manhattan, Mount Sinai School of Medicine is internationally recognized for ground-breaking clinical and basic-science research, and innovative approaches to medical education. Through the Mount Sinai Graduate School of Biological Sciences, Mount Sinai trains biomedical researchers with an emphasis on the rapid translation of discoveries of basic research into new techniques for fighting disease. One indication of Mount Sinai's leadership in scientific investigation is its receipt during fiscal year 2005 of $174.1 million in research support from the NIH. Mount Sinai School of Medicine also is known for unique educational programs such as the Humanities in Medicine program, which creates opportunities for liberal arts students to pursue medical school, and instructional innovations like The Morchand Center, the nation's largest program teaching students and physicians with "standardized patients" to become not only highly skilled, but compassionate caregivers. Long dedicated to improving its community, the School extends its boundaries to work with East Harlem and surrounding communities to provide access to health care and educational programs to at risk populations.

Contact: Mount Sinai Press Office
The Mount Sinai Hospital / Mount Sinai School of Medicine

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