Mice fed a diet rich in fat, sugar and cholesterol for nine months developed a preliminary stage of the neurofibrillary tangles that form in the brains of Alzheimer’s patients, Karolinska Institutet researchers have found.

They suspect that a high intake of fat and cholesterol in combination with genetic factors, such as apoE4, can adversely affect several brain substances, which can be a contributory factor in the development of Alzheimer’s.

The apoE4 gene variant is found in 15-20 per cent of the population.