In news that may be of interest to those seeking Alzheimer's care for themselves, a friend or family member, scientists from both the Gladstone Institute of Neurological Disease (GIND) and the University of California have published their results in Nature Neuroscience.
The researchers believe that fatty acids may therefore be a contributing factor to the disease.
It is hoped this discovery could lead to a new therapeutic strategy.
Lennart Mucke, GIND director and senior author of the study, said: "Several different proteins have been implicated in Alzheimer's disease ... but we wanted to know more about the potential involvement of lipids and fatty acids."
Eurekalert notes that five million US citizens are currently living with Alzheimer's and that although there are treatments for the condition, there is still no known cure.
The disease causes the progressive loss of cognitive functions and eventually leads to death.
Meanwhile, the American Family Association has noted that there are many different forms of dementia and that professional advice should be sought in obtaining a diagnosis.
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