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Diabetes and dementia are so closely linked that Alzheimer’s disease is sometimes referred to as “type 3 diabetes.” But while the risk is real, having diabetes doesn’t mean you’re doomed to dementia. The problem isn’t the diabetes itself so much as poor control over it. In one new study of mice, researchers found that beta amyloid – the “plaques” that appear in the brains of Alzheimer’s patients – starts to show up in the brain as blood sugar levels rise. The higher the blood sugar, the more of those damaging plaques you can expect to find. That helps explain why type 2 diabetics with blood sugar of 190 mg/dl are 40 percent more likely to get dementia than patients with blood sugar of 160 mg/dl. So if you have diabetes, don’t give in, don’t give up and don’t let yourself go. Keep your blood sugar under control naturally and you can cut your dementia risk. And don’t forget a little daily activity to help your body metabolize insulin, which in turn will also help protect the brain.
Diabetes May Be a Risk Factor for Developing Alzheimer’s, Studies Find
