A fat-derived hormone may be a risk factor for the development of dementia and Alzheimer’s in women, new research suggests.

Adiponectin, a hormone that sensitizes the body to insulin and works to metabolize sugars and fats, was found to be elevated in women who developed dementia and Alzheimer’s, according to researchers at a nutrition research center on aging at Tufts University in Boston.

They studied blood sugar levels, hormones and inflammatory markers in 840 patients — including 540 women — over a 13-year period. The women had an average age of 76. Over the study period, 159 patients developed dementia, with 125 cases diagnosed as Alzheimer’s. The data was gleaned from the Framingham Heart Study, a large population-based study originally conducted between 1985-1988 which is re-examined every two years.

After adjustments for other factors contributing to dementia, such as age and weight change, the researchers noticed that women who had elevated levels of adiponectin were at increased risk of developing dementia or Alzheimer’s. The researchers theorize that because people with Alzheimer’s tend to develop insulin resistance, a condition in which insulin becomes less sensitive and fails to regulate blood sugar effectively, their bodies produce adiponectin to help sensitize the insulin. Adiponectin also reduces inflammation, which is also associated with the development of dementia and Alzheimer’s.

This is the latest finding in the quest by researchers to identify risk factors for Alzheimer’s disease. There is currently no test for women to measure levels of adiponectin.

The study was published online Monday in the Archives of Neurology.