**2. Amyloidosis**

Amyloidosis is a chronic disease that is characterized by the extracellular deposits of insoluble proteins in one or many organs (systematic amyloidosis). Such disease is due to the alteration in the metabolism of various proteins which is the origin of extracellular accumulation of material resistant to the digestion protein called amyloid fibrillar protein [4]. Generally, amyloid deposits are located in a systematic way. Amyloidosis can arise by itself (primary amyloidosis) or be a secondary effect of many infections, inflammatory disorders, or malignancies in diseases (secondary amyloidosis) (**Table 1**).

One of the most studied amyloid proteins is amyloid-β peptide (Aβ), which arises from the proteolictic processing (via amyloidogenic) of the precursor amyloid protein (APP) [5]. This peptide is added in an extracellular way and forms highly insoluble fibrils that give rise to the amyloid plaques which are found in patients' brains with neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease. Existing evidence has been suggested that monomers of Aβ do not generate a toxic environment in the brain parenchyma [6]; however, the oligomers of this peptide prevent the synapse and neuronal environment and generate an exacerbated inflammation associated with the glia and microgery favoring the production of


**213**

**Table 2.**

*\*Data according to WHO 2016 \*\*Data according to Statista 2017*

*Diabetes Mellitus and Amyloid Beta Protein Pathology in Dementia*

Alzheimer's disease (AD) and Parkinson's disease (PD) [3].

patients according to the statistics portal Statista.

*Cases and deaths due to diabetes mellitus in the countries with the highest prevalence.*

interleukins triggering the formation of reactive oxygen species that have been

**3. Definition, clinical characteristics, and epidemiology of diabetes** 

DM is a chronic metabolic disease characterized by hyperglycemia caused by a deficit of pancreas insulin production known as diabetes mellitus type 1 (DM1) or by insulin receptor dysfunction known as diabetes mellitus type 2 (DM2) [2]. DM is characterized by the presence of polyuria, polyphagia, and polydipsia. Patients present an unexplained weight loss; paresthesia of the extremities and foot pain may occur, as well as asthenia and recurrent or complicated infections. If the patients are not adequately treated, it can be associated with renal, visual, cardiac, intestinal, diabetic ketoacidosis, or diabetic coma complications, and it can lead to brain damage [8]. DM is currently considered a risk factor for the development of

In recent years, the prevalence of this disease has increased in a progressive and alarming way, becoming a public health problem. The National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion estimates that in 2017, 9.4% of the United States population suffers from diabetes, that is, 30.3 million people, of which 21.1 million people are diagnosed and 7.2 million people who have diabetes have not been diagnosed. On the other hand, the last report of the World Health Organization on the profiles of countries for diabetes in 2016 reports that in the United States, 3% of the population dies from this disease. **Table 2** highlights the figures on the number of deaths caused by this disease in the five countries with the highest number of

*DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.84473*

**mellitus**

shown to be toxic, causing neuronal death [7].

**Table 1.** *Amyloidosis classification.* *Amyloid Diseases*

hormone to process glucose [2].

**2. Amyloidosis**

amyloidosis) (**Table 1**).

Parkinson's disease (PD), will be discussed.

Alzheimer's disease is the main cause of dementia, following vascular dementia, senil dementia, frontotemporal dementia, and even Parkinson's disease (P). Age is still the main risk factor to suffer from dementia, even though it is a multifactorial disorder. Smoking, alcoholism, lack of interest in education, and obesity are factors

Currently, obesity is another worldwide public health issue. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the majority of the population lives in countries where overweight and obesity are the cause of more deaths than malnutrition. At the same time, obesity is one of the causes of diabetes mellitus (DM) which is a chronic disease derived from a failure in the pancreas to produce insulin, necessary

Studies suggest that insulin is related with the formation of amyloid plaques which are histopathological structures, characteristics of some dementias such as Alzheimer's disease (AD) [3]. For this reason, in recent years, DM has been considered, specifically diabetes mellitus type 2 (DM2, in which the organism is unable to use insulin), as an important risk factor for the development of dementia. In this chapter, general data about DM and dementias, as well as the importance of DM in the formation of amyloid aggregates which converts it in a risk factor for AD and

Amyloidosis is a chronic disease that is characterized by the extracellular deposits of insoluble proteins in one or many organs (systematic amyloidosis). Such disease is due to the alteration in the metabolism of various proteins which is the origin of extracellular accumulation of material resistant to the digestion protein called amyloid fibrillar protein [4]. Generally, amyloid deposits are located in a systematic way. Amyloidosis can arise by itself (primary amyloidosis) or be a secondary effect of many infections, inflammatory disorders, or malignancies in diseases (secondary

One of the most studied amyloid proteins is amyloid-β peptide (Aβ), which arises from the proteolictic processing (via amyloidogenic) of the precursor amyloid protein (APP) [5]. This peptide is added in an extracellular way and forms highly insoluble fibrils that give rise to the amyloid plaques which are found in patients' brains with neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease. Existing evidence has been suggested that monomers of Aβ do not generate a toxic environment in the brain parenchyma [6]; however, the oligomers of this peptide prevent the synapse and neuronal environment and generate an exacerbated inflammation associated with the glia and microgery favoring the production of

that can increase the risk of developing dementia in an old age [1].

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**Table 1.**

*Amyloidosis classification.*

interleukins triggering the formation of reactive oxygen species that have been shown to be toxic, causing neuronal death [7].
