Brewer George J
Department of Human Genetics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA.
Int J Alzheimers Dis. 2011;2011:537528. doi: 10.4061/2011/537528. Epub 2011 Sep 14.
I present evidence that the epidemic of Alzheimer's disease is a new phenomenon exploding in the latter part of the 20th century in developed countries. I postulate that a major causative factor in the epidemic is the coincident use of copper plumbing, and the ingestion of inorganic copper leaching from the copper plumbing. I present evidence to support this hypothesis and discuss various objections and criticisms that have been raised about the hypothesis, and my responses to these criticisms. I conclude that the hypothesis is well supported by the evidence and deserves serious consideration, because if it is valid, it indentifies a partially preventable cause of Alzheimer's disease.
我提供证据表明,阿尔茨海默病的流行是20世纪后期在发达国家出现的一种新现象。我推测,这种流行的一个主要致病因素是同时使用铜管管道,以及摄入从铜管管道中浸出的无机铜。我提供证据来支持这一假设,并讨论针对该假设提出的各种反对意见和批评,以及我对这些批评的回应。我得出结论,该假设得到了证据的充分支持,值得认真考虑,因为如果它是有效的,就确定了阿尔茨海默病的一个部分可预防的病因。