A Link Between Blood Sugar And Alzheimer's?

By not controlling your blood sugar levels you put yourself in line for a whole host of problems including thirst, blurred vision, slow to heal cuts and bruises, kidney disease, nerve damage, heart disease and more. Now, it seems, there is another problem to add to that list. According to a long-term study published in the April 9, 2008, online issue of Neurology, men who develop diabetes in mid-life appear to significantly increase their risk of developing Alzheimer's disease.

The study, which tested the glucose levels of 2,269 Swedish at age 50 for diabetes, found that during an average follow up of 32 years, 102 participants were diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. The results indicate that men with low insulin secretion capacity at age 50 were nearly one-and-a-half times more likely to develop Alzheimer's disease than people without insulin problems.

One of the researchers, Dr Elina Rönnemaa, says, "A link between insulin problems and the origins of Alzheimer's disease emphasizes the importance of insulin in normal brain function." She contemplates that perhaps insulin problems lead to damaged blood vessels in the brain, which causes problems with memory and Alzheimer's disease, but she emphasized that further research was needed to discover the detailed underlying biology.

Whatever the reason for the connection, it means that you need to keep your blood sugar levels in control. If you are not sure if your blood sugar levels are normal, The American Diabetes Association encourages people to take the Diabetes Risk Test and, of course, be sure to follow up by speaking to your physician regarding your results.

Source: Diabetes In Mid-life Linked To Increased Risk Of Alzheimer's Disease