Scientists have long searched for the causes of Alzheimer’s disease, but the answers may not lie only inside the brain. New research from Houston Methodist indicates that unhealthy changes linked with obesity may send damaging messages from body fat to the brain. Amyloid plaques are one of the best-known biological changes seen in Alzheimer’s disease. In Alzheimer’s disease models, improving lipid balance reduced harmful changes and led to better memory and thinking performance. Alzheimer’s disease affects millions of people worldwide, and the number is expected to rise sharply as populations age.