Elevated blood sugar levels could increase a person’s risk of dementia, according to a study in the New England Journal of Medicine.
Of the over 2,000 people over the age of 65 participating in the study, almost 30 percent of them were found to have increased risk for dementia that correlated with higher blood sugar levels. The study included participants with diabetes and participants without diabetes.
“Our results suggest that higher glucose levels may be a risk factor for dementia, even among persons without diabetes,” stated the conclusion of the study.
This information is supported by previous studies from the Journal of the American Medical Association and Diabetes Care that have linked diabetes with dementia risks.
Diabetics may have higher risks of hypoglycemic episodes, which can potentially damage neurons, according to the JAMA study. Study participants who were hospitalized for hypoglycemia-related reasons were twice as likely to have dementia risks later.
Ewan McNay, a professor at Albany University, has also done studies in this area.
“The discovery could explain why people who develop T2 diabetes often show sharp declines in cognitive function, with an estimated 70 per cent developing Alzheimer’s –far more than in the rest of the population,” said McNay.
Some articles go so far as to refer to dementia as “the end stage of diabetes.”
Though further research is being done in this field, it is important for patients and healthcare professionals to be aware of the potential relationship between blood sugar and dementia risk.
People with high blood sugar, especially those with diabetes, should learn about the warning signs of dementia and talk to their healthcare providers about these risks. Confusion and consistent short-term memory loss are among the symptoms to watch out for.
If a patient worries that he or she may be showing early symptoms of dementia, medical professionals can perform cognitive function tests.
