Dementia screenings needed in middle-aged people with type 2 diabetes, study suggests

[DCUK NewsBot]

Middle-aged people with type 2 diabetes should receive additional screening for dementia, according to a new study. Ecuadorian researchers have reported that people with type 2 diabetes were more likely to have impaired brain function, and say that preventative strategies should be introduced to reduce dementia risk in later life. The link between cognitive impairment, involving poor memory and brain function, in the older generation is well documented. Researchers already know the risk of dementia increases in older age, but this is the first time the effects of diabetes on cognitive decline has been studied among a middle-aged population. The trial involved just over 300 people who were aged between 55-65 years. There were 142 participants with type 2 diabetes and 167 people who did not have the condition. Each volunteer was asked to conduct a series of tests, which assessed their cognitive reactions. The team discovered those in the diabetes group had poorer results when compared to those without the condition, irrespective of gender, education, cardiovascular risk factors and depression. Dementia is a prevalent chronic condition, thought to affect 850,000 people in the UK. However, numbers are on the rise and experts have predicted that by 2025 the number of people with condition will have risen to more than one million. There is no cure for dementia but delaying the condition by five years could halve the numbers of deaths, thus saving 30,000 lives a year. Changing dietary choices could be an important step towards lowering dementia risk. Eating a Mediterranean diet has shown to have a positive impact on brain health, while eating a higher fat, ketogenic diet could benefit people with Alzheimer's disease. The Ecuadorian researchers have called for more work to be focused on whether establishing intensive glucose control can "reverse or delay progression of cognitive impairment on those patients".

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[Guzzler]

More of the same, please. This devastating illness really does deserve more research.

 

[lucylocket61]

i wonder how much the lowering of acceptable cholesterol levels in the middle aged type 2 diabetics to 4 or under has contributed to dementia risk?

 

[Deleted member 308541]

i wonder how much the lowering of acceptable cholesterol levels in the middle aged type 2 diabetics to 4 or under has contributed to dementia risk?

I have no recollection / recall of that occurring / happening.

 

[Indy51]

i wonder how much the lowering of acceptable cholesterol levels in the middle aged type 2 diabetics to 4 or under has contributed to dementia risk?

Every time I see someone riding a gopher, my immediate thought is "I wonder if they're taking statins?" My legs have never fully recovered from the effects of my 6 months on the ****** things.

Edited by moderator for language

 

[jjraak]

Every time I see someone riding a gopher, my immediate thought is "I wonder if they're taking statins?" My legs have never fully recovered from the effects of my 6 months on the ****** things.

Ahh, the old mobility scooters, as we say in the UK...(Googled pic, can see the gopher resemblance, now. )

 

[jjraak]

A thought has crossed my mind in relation to lchf.

I would imagine, that as many T2D are advised if not berated to NOT test, most will simply be blindly following food guidance, wholemeal bread, grain bananas ..(all things that spike me ) so probably won't have great control of their BG levels

That then follows that the low fat diet, to compensate / assist in weight loss, may exacerbate the very diseases linked to a T2D diagnosis ..(heart attacks, strokes & dementia, neuropathy )

Be interesting to hear/see data regarding impact of same diseases when in tandem with a low carb and LCHF diet.

 

[Brunneria]

There are extensive links between dementia and insulin resistance (some people now call Alzheimers Type 3 diabetes), so further research is a wonderful thing - but only if they address the root cause, not the symptoms.

Current Alzheimers medication is blindingly ineffective, after a short initial period, so it is clearly NOT addressing the root cause.
Whereas fueling the brain on ketones via a ketogenic diet seems to be much more effective.
https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=a...ome..69i57.10646j0j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

 

[kitedoc]

The study as reported does not state whether the T2D persons were tested for other causes of their poor scoring in the tests conducted.
Dementia to me is something that is diagnosed partly by excluding other causes of similar symptoms and test results.
Questionnaires may identify persons with possible dementia but of themselves do not prove this is the case.

 

[jjraak]

https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=a...ome..69i57.10646j0j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

Thank you for that link, @Brunneria ..most illuminating.

Too late for my mum...but i would have given that a go if i'd known about it when she was alive.

Did search on line for anything that might help but never came across foods...
(altho to be honest, i wasn't looking for food.. i was looking for meds or herbs )

Still good to know, from my families perspective...so bravo for the link .

Amazing how, when one is forced to confront the future as a diabetic, and is also willing to be open minded about alternative techniques for managing it, how many other illnesses i now find implicated in and affected/improved by diets.

(in the video, they mention asthma .( long term suffer here, Dx aged 12 )..and it was pointed out on a post on the forum, that someone else had fewer issues, which when i reflected, i found the same. my asthma, has almost disappeared from my life.)

Regards.

 

[SimonCrox]

Interesting article; thanks.
In late middle aged folk, Whitner and colleagues showed that a significant hypo leading to hospital attendance increased the risk of dementia, and this has been born out by other studies, so avoiding hypos important.
A Norwegian study (?Hassing in Age Ageing) showed that it was the diabetic folk with uncontrolled hyprt ension that developed dementia, so again BP control important; 2 BP studies, Syst-Eur and another showed that poor BP control was associated with cognitive decline.
Regarding cholesterol, one would think that taking statins would reduce the risk of stroke and hence risk of vascular dementia, but the statin studies have shown no decrease in dementia risk with statins.
It is probably important to detect atrial fibrillation (I think nt more common in diabetic people) cos this is a treatable risk factor for dementia.
And as above, important to exclude no other cause such as low thyroid, low B12, high calcium, but particularly low glucose eg in middle of night - generally these factors are not present, but if present, need addressing
best wishes

 

[ickihun]

Yep IR side affects cause havoc.

Until IR is researched fully then we will be blind in preventing dementia.

Defective genes also play a part though.