LucySW
Well-Known Member
Hi All. The latest Dr B Youtube video is on the science of exactly how it is that persistently high BG causes brain damage, specifically, memory loss.This is connected to but doesn't necessarily include Alzheimer's memory loss.
A really good incentive to keep that BG down, methinks.
Edit: He connects an article which appeared in Neuron journal here with general knowledge about how the blood-brain barrier works and how hyperglycemia affects it. From the Wikipedia article on Pericytes, the following (usually mentioned in the context of retinopathy, but it's the same mechanism in the brain): .
The upshot is that the pericytes swell and burst, and the blood-brain barrier ceases to protect the brain. Hence the damage.
A really good incentive to keep that BG down, methinks.
Edit: He connects an article which appeared in Neuron journal here with general knowledge about how the blood-brain barrier works and how hyperglycemia affects it. From the Wikipedia article on Pericytes, the following (usually mentioned in the context of retinopathy, but it's the same mechanism in the brain): .
While it is unclear why pericytes are lost in diabetic patients, one hypothesis is that toxic sorbitol and advanced glycation end-products (AGE) accumulate in the pericytes. Because of the build-up of glucose, the polyol pathway increases its flux, and intracellular sorbitol and fructose accumulate. This leads to osmotic imbalance, which results in cellular damage. The presence of high glucose levels also leads to the buildup of AGE's, which also damage cells.
The upshot is that the pericytes swell and burst, and the blood-brain barrier ceases to protect the brain. Hence the damage.
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